Golden Sun: The Trials of Destiny
by Triad Orion
Summary: A destraught Isaac leaves Vale on a journey to find his destiny after his mother passes away, but does he know what he's getting himself into? Does only more sorrow await him, or is something else? (Isaac/Mia) Please R&R! Completed!
1. Thirsting for Adventure

Isaac rolled out of his bed in his hometown of Vale and rubbed his sapphire eyes with both hands. The young hero yawned and stretched; after awaking his senses, he walked over to his bedroom window and gazed down. His best friend, Garet, was practicing his Psynergy skills with a huge stone column; he used Move, Carry, Force, and just about any other power he had under his belt. Isaac smiled to himself.  
  
*Garet's still practicing his Psynergy, even six months after we returned from defeating Alex in the Jupiter Lighthouse.* Isaac thought to himself, happily. *I'm just glad Felix reformed afterward. Jenna was very pleased when he agreed to come home with us. I'm just glad everyone believed us when we told the bogus story about him just being a puppet. I still feel bad about lying, but; what else could I do?* Isaac turned around and slipped his tunic on so he could go outside. He struggled to pull on his boots as he left his dwelling to head over to see his friend. After he finally got his boots on properly, he pulled his yellow scarf tighter so as not to lose it to the winds from the north. Isaac turned around Garet's house; Garet was using Move to play around with his stone training pillar. Isaac snuck up, quiet as a panther, until he was right behind his best friend.  
  
"Hey Garet!" Isaac exclaimed, causing Garet to jump three feet into the air, breaking his concentration. The stone pillar fell to the ground with a loud crash, almost landing on his sister's flowers.  
  
"Isaac, you know I hate that!" Garet shouted as he spun around to see his friend, grinning ear-to-ear. "How are you doing, bro?" Garet's continence changed from anger to a wide grin.  
  
"Quite all right. I see you're still practicing your Psynergy consistently."  
  
"Like you don't, Isaac?" Isaac just smiled at his friend.  
  
"Yeah, I still practice a lot. I can't get that by you, can I?"  
  
"Nope. So, what are we going to do today?"  
  
"I don't know. It's been boring around here since we got back and Ivan and Mia left for home. After you see the world for awhile, being back in one place gets old real fast."  
  
"Craving for adventure, Isaac? I know what you mean; at least things are back to normal around here with Jenna, Kraden, and Felix back home. Though, you're right that it has become boring around here since we returned. I'm thinking about getting a job at the blacksmith's place. Maybe you should apply too! You probably could forge some killer weapons, Isaac!"  
  
"I just may do that, Garet. I need something to do besides sit around the house or waltz around Vale."  
  
"You two are always doing nothing; a job would suit you well." Jenna smirked as she approached the two friends.  
  
"Hey, Jenna! Nice to see you!" Isaac turned to her.  
  
"Good to see you. How are you this morning, Jenna?" Garet spun.  
  
"Same as usual. So, you two lazy bums are thinking about getting a job?" Jenna asked, broadly smiling.  
  
"We're thinking about it. We really need something to do, after all. Hey, Isaac, How about we go right now?" Garet asked his friend.  
  
"Sure. I don't have anything else to do. Before we go, let me check on my mom." Isaac returned.  
  
"She's been sick for awhile now, hasn't she?" Garet asked. Isaac nodded, and walked back to his house. Jenna's purple eyes glared at him.  
  
"You've got the biggest mouth, Garet! This has been bothering Isaac since before we even returned home! He's genuinely worried about his mother; don't make things harder than they already are!"  
  
Isaac's mother, Dora, had come down with an illness while he and his friends had been questing against Saturos and Merandi months ago. Isaac had promised his mother he would not return until he finished his quest. When Isaac broke his promise by returning to Vale after rescuing Master Hammet from the clutches of Dodonpa, he was shocked to learn his mother had fallen under the weather. Concerned, he returned home, to find his mother down with a fever and a cold. Dora forced Isaac to continue his quest and to ignore her sickness. Later, after retrieving Babi's draught from Lemuria and defeating Alex after he lit the Jupiter Lighthouse, Isaac returned to his home, and his mother's condition hadn't improved. In fact, it had worsened; she was now confined completely to bed, with the innkeeper and the Sanctum healer dropping by daily to administer food and healing. The Sanctum's healer informed Isaac that her condition was unknown, but it was probably caused by loneliness. The healer said there was little he could do. He described her symptoms as constant fever, occasional nausea, total lethargia, minor muscle dystrophy, a constant cold, terrible cough, and in a worst-case scenario, pneumonia.  
  
"Sorry, it's not like I was trying, Jenna. I'm worried too; his mother's always been so kind to everyone. Remember, she didn't even get mad when I put those two holes in the roof?"  
  
"All too well, Garet." Jenna sighed, remembering the day all of the adventures had started. "I really wish I could've seen all of the sights you guys did. It would've been more exciting without Saturos and Merandi breathing down our necks 24-7."  
  
"I'm just glad it's all over. Good riddance to those three. I can't believe they used Felix the way they did. If they had any redeeming qualities, it was the fact that they saved your brother's life. That's it."  
  
"Yes, you're right, Garet. That was their sole good quality." Jenna and Garet were silent for a few moments.  
  
"Garet, do you think Dora will ever get better?" Jenna asked, a great tone of concern in her voice. Garet turned and fixed his crimson eyes on his friend.  
  
"I doubt it, Jenna. It's really not looking good right now. She's lost a lot of strength recently, and Isaac's doing his best to take care of her. I don't think even Mia could help her now." Garet's eyes narrowed as he sadly replied. "I honestly don't think she's going to last much longer." Jenna's face had a growing look of depression and she didn't reply to her friend's truthful requiem. Garet's hand clenched tight. "You would've thought throughout all of our travels we could've found something to cure something like this! Dammit, I wish we could do something!"  
  
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Garet. If there was anything that could've been done, it would've been done." Jenna rested a hand on Garet's shoulder. "I just hope Isaac is taking this well."  
  
"He's not. Despite the fact he acts normal when he's around us, I can tell the guy's heart is aching him to no end. First his father, now his mother." He heard footsteps approaching on the path nearby. "Quiet, I think he's coming." Garet shushed. Sure enough, Isaac was dashing down the dirt path back to his friends. Judging by the look on his face, he hadn't heard a word of their conversation.  
  
"Hey, Garet! Let's go get a job!" Isaac exclaimed.  
  
"Your mother approved?"  
  
"You bet! In fact she was rather pleased we thought about it! Let's go apply; I'm sure we can get a position."  
  
"OK! You want to tag along, Jenna?"  
  
"No, I have to get back to the inn. It's almost my cooking shift. See you guys later." Jenna spun around on her heels and slipped down the path directly for the inn. Isaac nodded to Garet, and then they walked down a path to the blacksmith. The two friends marched into the large store. The floors were solid wood, with barrels of swords and bows scattered around between weapon racks filled with axes, hatchets, arrows of varying sizes and shapes, varying short-bows, and even more swords, ranging from minor short swords to man sized bastard swords. The main desk where the blacksmith sat was directly in front of the door, and the man sitting behind the counter was medium-sized, but muscular. His hair was brown, matching his moustache. The man's eyes were brown, and they conveyed his experience at his trade along with his girth. The man saw Isaac and Garet and promptly greeted them.  
  
"Hey Garet! Hey, Isaac! Good to see you today! So, what can I do for you this day?" The man smiled.  
  
"We heard you needed a couple of more sets of hands in the shop, so we came to help!" Garet replied.  
  
"You guys want to work for me?! That's an honor, two heroes like you. I'd be glad to have you aboard! Consider yourselves hired."  
  
"When do we start working?" Garet asked.  
  
"Noon tomorrow is your first shift. Be here and I'll show you around."  
  
"You got it, boss!" Garet said as he and Isaac left the facility.  
  
"That was easy enough, wasn't it, Isaac? I'm glad we could get employed so easily."  
  
"Gee, Garet, that was obvious. It's only because we're friends with the blacksmith. Nonetheless, I agree. It is good that we have a job. Sorry I can't stay and chat Garet, but I have to go home. I think mom is looking a little more sick than normal today. See ya, Garet." Isaac turned away and walked quietly toward his abode.  
  
Garet stared onward at his companion and shook his head. *He knows now too. I guess my hunch wasn't farfetched after all. I just hope for once that this time I'm wrong.* 


	2. Through the Dusk

Isaac sat forward and rubbed his eyes. He hardly got any sleep the night before; he was too busy thinking about his mother. Dora had really gone downhill the past couple of weeks, and Isaac worked his fingers to the bone trying to help her. He was really busy despite his claims of laying around doing nothing. More and more color seemed to slip from his mother's face every hour; Isaac was quite hesitant to go to work now, fearing for his mother's condition. Isaac pulled himself from his bed and got dressed, wrapping his golden scarf around his neck as he descended the stairs to the floor below. His mother was laying in her bed, reading a book. Isaac walked quietly over.  
  
"Good morning, son. Are you off to work?" Dora asked him. Isaac nodded and finished messing with his scarf. Dora's face was a pasty white, very sickly in appearance, but her eyes still showed much emotion and affection. Her eyes did not convey sorrow, but rather happiness despite her obvious bed-ridden lifestyle. She looked on to Isaac with a shine of pride in her eyes, eager to see her son make his mark on the world.  
  
"I don't know if I should go, though. You don't look very good today; maybe I should stay home. Mr. Carson would understand if I stayed home this once."  
  
"You worry too much, Isaac." Dora said, before coughing violently. "I'll be fine."  
  
"No, I'm going to stay here and look after you."  
  
"Young man, you're going to work and that's final!" Dora snapped, giving Isaac the look of "Don't argue with me because I'm your mother." Isaac was taken back by this sudden order, but instead of arguing further, he nodded and kissed his mother on the forehead. Her fever had spiked again; Isaac opened his mouth to protest, but his mother pointed at the door before he could breathe a word. He turned and left his abode, spotting Garet at the end of his walk.  
  
"Hey, bro!" Garet exclaimed, spotting Isaac leaving his dwelling. Isaac raised a hand to silence his oafish friend.  
  
"My mother's trying to rest, Garet. Please be quiet." Isaac said, approaching his friend.  
  
"Sorry, Isaac, I'd forgotten. My apologies." Garet replied, quietly. "Let's go." Garet and Isaac walked down the dirt-trodden path to the blacksmith. Garet rambled on about the night before, explaining that his sister almost threw a fit because of his training, his little brother trying to use his own Psynergy, and countless other events. Isaac hardly heard a word of Garet's speech, focusing primarily on his mother. He grew increasingly concerned about his mother with every passing second. Normally, Isaac would've appreciated the calming walk through his beloved hometown of Vale, but he couldn't. The wooden houses with hay roofs were usually serene to the warrior, as were the smells of ambrosial bliss of the pastries and fresh baked bread at the baker's. Today, though, they were no more than a mere outside stimulus that didn't attract much attention.  
  
Upon their arrival, they both entered and were quickly greeted by Mr. Carson, the blacksmith. Carson quickly began to explain the basics of the hearth and general weapon making instruction. Carson explained the details of using the forge and the forging hammers, giving a demonstration on making a long sword. Garet listened intently, while Isaac struggled to pay attention.  
  
"Isaac, is there something on your mind?" Mr. Carson asked, halting his hammering on the blade of his long sword.  
  
"No, nothing." Isaac returned, snapping back to the present. Carson continued his lecture, but Isaac paid more attention now, trying to get his mind off of his mother.  
  
After Carson completed his lecture, he turned both of the teenagers to the hearth. Their first assignment was to make a fitting short sword with decent quality. Garet began pounding away with his forging hammer, slowly forming a blade from a piece of metal. Garet took his time and carefully pounded the sword to a good point, and after cooling it in a vat of water, sharpened the blade to a razor's edge.  
  
Isaac worked on his project as well, but his labors bore far less fruit. His mind, not being on the present, was clouded and therefore his work quality went down. During the course of his work, he missed the blade of the sword with his forging hammer completely a number of times, and he was off his mark several times, causing imperfections in the blade, hilt, and handle. Isaac, unaware of his errors, cooled the sword and sharpened the blade. When both of them had finished, Carson carefully scrutinized their work.  
  
"Garet, well done! You have a real talent for this! I haven't seen a sword of this quality from an apprentice for years! You're a natural at this. You keep it, Garet." Carson handed the short sword back to Garet who placed it into a waiting sheath.  
  
"Isaac, were you distracted while you were making this sword?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Isaac inquired.  
  
"You seemed on edge and a thousand kilometers away."  
  
"No, I was all right."  
  
"Well, your sword was below average, though not bad for a beginner; but you're going to have to practice or pay more attention when you're working. Here, take it." Carson handed Isaac his personally forged weapon, and Isaac himself scrutinized it. The metal in parts of the blade were warped, and the weapon wasn't entirely balanced because of the hilt and the handle's discrepancies. His sword edge was improperly sharpened, with one edge more keen than the other.  
  
"Damn." Isaac swore to himself. Garet turned his head at his friend's comment. He'd hardly heard Isaac swear before, especially after such a minor failure. By the time they finished, Carson had decided to close shop. It had taken six hours to go through the instruction and exercises, so Garet and Isaac left for home. Along the way, Garet finally broke the long silence between the two of them.  
  
"Isaac, I couldn't help but notice how distracted you were today. It's not like you to make mistakes like you did today. I mean, you were upset that you couldn't even swing a hammer straight!"  
  
"It's nothing, Garet. I was just tired, that's all." Isaac said, rubbing his eyes to further his story.  
  
"You're dodging, Isaac. Something's wrong, and you're not telling me what it is."  
  
"I've nothing to hide. Nothing's going on, Garet." Isaac said as they reached the walkway to his home. "I'll see you in the morning." He walked into his dwelling, and his door closed with a quiet thunk. Garet shook his head and walked onward. His house wasn't far away, but he stopped at a crossroads and leaned against another wooden house. He waited, thinking for a long time. Eventually, he was ready to leave when he heard a familiar voice from behind.  
  
"Garet? What are you doing out here?" Jenna asked, fixing her eyes on him.  
  
"Jenna? Oh, I was thinking."  
  
"That's a first. What about?" Jenna leaned up against the wall next to him.  
  
"I was thinking about Isaac. He really seemed out of his gourd today; the guy couldn't hammer a sword that was holding still. It's just not like him at all."  
  
"Do you think he heard what we were saying yesterday, Garet?"  
  
"No. I think he's figured it out for himself. I just wonder how much longer she has. It's sick to think this way, but it's true. Jenna, I just don't know how to tell him that we're here for him. He's always been our leader, never asking for help, but more than one hundred percent ready to give it."  
  
"Garet, he just doesn't want help, but we should be there for him. I think he doesn't want anyone worrying on his behalf. He's so selfless in that way, but he's irritating when he won't spit what he thinks out. Let's just try to set it aside for now, Garet. Gotta go, Garet. Just try not to bash your undersized brain out by trying to think too much." Jenna said, turning to move away. She winked at him during the 'brain' comment and walked off. Garet sighed and returned to his own home after Jenna had taken her leave. After eating his dinner, Garet promptly turned in for the night, eager to rest his body and mind for the coming day. Little did he realize that he'd need it. 


	3. Warrior's Tears

"Garet, wake up! Wake up, Garet!" A voice sounded, rocking Garet's body. Garet was sleeping like a stone and almost refused to open his eyes. "Garet, it's important!" He recognized this voice as his older sister's.  
  
"Aww, Sis, I didn't crush your flowers, leave me alone."  
  
"Garet! It's about Isaac!"  
  
"What?!" Garet shouted, springing fully awake. "What's going on?"  
  
"Dora passed away yesterday while you were at work! I just heard about it and the funeral is happening in 45 minutes!"  
  
"WHAT?! So that's why Isaac was so distracted yesterday! He knew his mother had taken a sharp decline, but didn't stay home!"  
  
"Knowing Dora, she forced him to go to work instead of staying home. She knew she wasn't going to last the day, so she sent Isaac away to try to get his mind off of her." Garet's grandmother said, walking to his bedside.  
  
"How's Isaac? Is he okay?"  
  
"No one's seen him all day. Jenna claimed she spotted him near Kraden's cottage, but he hasn't shown his face in public all day!" His sister replied.  
  
"Oh, no." Garet shot out of his bedding and pulled on his tunic quickly. He charged outside in a rush, searching every cranny of the town for his friend. He was nowhere to be found. He checked the blacksmith, the armorsmith, the innkeeper, the various shopkeepers, Kraden's cottage, the old mill, the barns, Jenna's home, the Sanctuary, the town square, the nearby lake, the cliffs, and the big hill just outside of town. Garet's limbs began to ache as he had searched the whole of the village in less than half an hour, still not finding hide nor hair of Isaac. Finally, he decided to give up and go home, but he stopped by Isaac's house in a test. After knocking lightly on the front door, Garet pulled open the door and stepped inside.  
  
Isaac's house was quite large, with solid wood floors. The walls were covered in a plaster-like substance that was a ghost white, the color of which opened the rooms up and allowed more light in. There were rugs here and there on the floors, a stone fireplace burning, the occasional painting on the walls. Garet marched into Isaac's parents' room. The sheets on both beds had remained unstirred, as if no one had slept in them for months. The room felt very homey, with the warmth of the fireplace and the various niceties in the room, ranging from a couple of plants to an oak coat rack. Not seeing any sign of life, Garet walked up the flight of wooden stairs to Isaac's room. The room was small, but not crowded. Isaac's bed lay much like those of his deceased parents, and most of the books on his bookcase looked as though they had a thick layer of dust growing on their surfaces. Confused, Garet opened Isaac's stand out closet. All of Isaac's tunics and clothes were neatly hung awaiting to be worn by the lad. Garet closed the closet doors, not knowing what he had been thinking. Garet then spotted Isaac's black trunk, which he again opened. All of Isaac's adventuring gear was neatly in place. His Dragon Scale armor was folded nicely and stacked on top of his Earth Shield, and his Gaia Sword lay across that. His sack of items lie next to the handle of his magical blade, untouched as well. It was clear Isaac hadn't opened this trunk since he returned from the Jupiter Lighthouse. Garet sighed, and shut the lid on Isaac's trunk. He left the room and descended down the stairs to the main room, where he walked outside.  
  
Garet paused for a moment, trying to think where his friend could be. He had looked everywhere in Vale for him, but was at a loss on how to find him now. He looked left and right, looking down the path near his house, but was he remained at his quandary. Then, as he was about to leave, he felt some hay fall on his head. Brushing it out of his thick red hair, Garet looked to the roof, where something was obviously up there. He walked to the side of his house that faced away from the path and noticed a ladder leading to the roof. Seizing the moment, Garet leapt onto the ladder and clambered up to the roof. Peering over the horizon of the roof, he saw his missing friend messing with something on the roof.  
  
"Isaac?" Garet asked, out of sheer surprise. His friend turned his head and looked directly at him.  
  
"Hey, Garet." Isaac said, returning to what he was doing. Garet pulled himself to the roof and carefully walked over to him.  
  
"What are you doing, Isaac?"  
  
"Mending the roof." Isaac replied, quietly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I promised mother last week I'd do it today." He sniffed, obviously holding back his tears.  
  
"You've always been a man of your word, Isaac." Garet replied, sympathetically. There was a long silence, save for the rustling of fresh hay that Isaac stamped down into the roof.  
  
"It's funny, Garet." Isaac said. "If I hadn't have gotten a job, I might have been able to save her."  
  
"Isaac. . ." Garet returned, thinking about how Jenna told him time and again not to bring up this subject. "There's nothing you could've done. Your mother was so sick, there was nothing anyone could do. I don't even think Mia would've been able to help her, my friend. You know you did everything you could."  
  
"I know Garet." Isaac moaned. "I just wish I could've done more." He shook his head. For once in a long time, Garet was right. He did everything in his power to help his mother. Garet was right about another thing too. Mia, the healer that saved his life countless times, probably couldn't help his mother; even as a Mercury Adept, she could only do so much. Isaac cursed his own healing Psynergy for only effecting physical wounds and not illnesses. He might've been able to help her if it did work.  
  
"I know, bro. You did more than everything for her, and I don't think she'd want you to take it this harshly. You're blaming yourself."  
  
"If we had never gone into the Sol Sanctum, this never would've happened!"  
  
"If we didn't go into the Sol Sanctum, Saturos and Merandi would've lit all four lighthouses and it would've been the end of the world." Garet corrected. Isaac turned to argue, but his friend's point was right on the mark. "Your mother's funeral will be going on shortly. You should go. I'll go with you, if it will make you feel better."  
  
"Thanks, Garet. Come on, we don't have much time." Isaac returned, still saddened, but less so than earlier. The two friends walked up to the Sanctum, where they were greeted by the head healer, and several of his monks. Each gave their condolences before the ceremony, and Isaac thanked them properly each time. The ceremony was not long-winded, but Isaac's mind was so clouded, most of the funeral became a blur to him. However, the ceremony had many of the citizens of Vale in attendance, and the eulogies of the head healer and his monks were beautiful and well-spoken. From what Isaac could clearly gather, he was thankful so many people remembered her in such a good way, the way she really was. After the funeral, the coffin containing Dora's body was buried in a grave next to a stone in remembrance of her husband, Kyle. After which, each in attendance to the funeral gave their apologies and condolences to Isaac, whom by now was almost sick with sadness. After most had departed, the warrior hero of days past stood and stared at both of his parents' grave markers. He remained motionless for nearly a half an hour, and the only ones left in the graveyard by that time was Garet, Jenna, Felix, and himself. Finally, he turned away from the headstones and walked towards his friends.  
  
"I know it's hard, Isaac. Please don't beat yourself up like this." Jenna told him. "I haven't seen you this bad for years." She remorsefully spoke to him.  
  
"Isaac, you know we'll always be there if you need us. Just come over to our place if you ever need to talk." Felix said to his childhood friend in his normal, calm, voice. Garet glanced at Felix for a moment, realizing Felix had just put into words what he had wished to earlier that same day.  
  
"Felix is right. We'll be there for you whenever you need anything, bro."  
  
"Thanks, guys." Isaac said, mournfully. "I really appreciate that, you know. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I'd like to be alone now." He pushed past his friends, bearing on his own dwelling. The path from the graveyard seemed to stretch thousands of miles, a never-ending path of sorrow, confusion, and depression. It was only moments before Isaac disappeared from his friends' line of sight.  
  
"I'm worried about him." Jenna said, plainly.  
  
"We should be, but not so much we can't move through our own lives. I don't intend to sound insensitive, but we should leave him to his own devices for awhile." Felix quietly returned. "He'll be in mourning for a long time, but he'll eventually begin to recover with time. Our job is to make sure he does recover, but now, we should honor his desire to be alone with his thoughts."  
  
"Should I visit him in the morning, Felix, or do you think that's a bad idea?" Jenna asked her older brother.  
  
"No, you shouldn't. If anyone should see him in the morning, it should be Garet."  
  
"Why Garet?" Jenna asked questioningly.  
  
"Because, despite how close friends you and Isaac are, Garet might as well be a brother to Isaac, and he'd be more likely to talk with him."  
  
"I suppose you're right, Felix. Garet, make sure you got all of that in your thick skull, got it?"  
  
"Consider it done." Garet replied, smiling. "And I'm not a bonehead, Jenna!"  
  
*************************  
  
Isaac tossed and turned in his feather bed. He hadn't slept a wink all that night, and the sleep he had gotten the night before had been restless and uncomfortably light. It had been an untold number of hours since the funeral, and Isaac went to bed immediately afterward. Finally realizing the futility of his struggle, he sat straight up and wide awake. Thoughts of his mother and father flooded his mind; every memory he could conceive of his family flowed through his mind, flashing before his eyes. Isaac swallowed hard, trying to hold back his depression. Isaac stood and stared out at the night sky, the stars twinkling their mystical light in the darkness above. There were no candles or torches lit in all of Vale; it must've been very late.  
  
Isaac lit a dip candle with a match and checked his 24 hour-hourglass. It was a little less than half full; about midnight. He sat back on his bed, the dip candle still burning on his nightstand. Pulling a book from off his nightstand, he tried to read. His thoughts remained too clouded to concentrate on the book, so he quickly set the book back. He returned to the window, gazing at the stars above Mt. Aleph. The mountain reminded him of his adventuring days, his numerous adventures with Garet, Ivan, and Mia. He missed Ivan and Mia deeply; both were very close friends. He thought about the times when Garet, Ivan, and himself captured the thieves in Vault, when they and Mia wandered through the Mercury Lighthouse not far from the town of Imil, the time they played at the fountains of Tolbi, his victory at the Colosso tournament, the defeat of Saturos and Merandi at the Venus Lighthouse, countless mishaps at sea, retrieving the Draught of Life for Babi, and finally defeating Alex at the Jupiter Lighthouse.  
  
Those had been the days; he and his friends explored the world together, all for one, and one for all. The four wanders depended on each other to survive and win the endless battles encountered on the way to their destiny.  
  
Then it hit him. While stopping all four Lighthouses from being lit was no doubt part of his destiny, he determined that being a blacksmith in his hometown was not the way his life was supposed to be. He loved his hometown of Vale, but there were too many memories here. These memories would plague him until the day he died, and he figured the best way to avoid this was to keep his mind occupied with other thoughts; thoughts set on his adventure. Present and future, not the past; this is what he determined he should keep his mind focused on. This left him but one course of action: leave Vale and start adventuring on his own. He quickly picked up his dip candle and moved over to his pine writing desk and pulled a piece of paper from the drawer in desk. He picked up his feather pen and dipped it into the inkwell sitting at the top of his table. He scribbled a message on the paper, and changed his clothes.  
  
Moving quickly, he popped open the trunk he hadn't touched for six months, dragging his Gaia Sword out, dropping it on the floor. He removed his Dragon Scale armor, unfolded it, and slipped it on; it still fit like the day he found it. The golden scales of the armor had protected him from just about everything. Next, he pulled his tunic over the light armor and slipped his traveling gauntlets on over his hands. He then grabbed for his Earth Shield in the bottom of his trunk. He slipped the shield over his left arm, then pawed for his bag of traveling items. The bag was mystical; it could magically hold just about anything while having near unlimited space. He emptied the bag's contents to the floor to inspect what he had. Several herbs and nuts fell from the bag, as well as a couple of rings, elixir bottles, Psy Crystals, and vials of healing potion. Other treasures included a set of Catch Beads, the Halt Gem, the Cloak Ball, a Douse Drop, a Frost Jewel, a Carry Stone, the Orb of Force, and the Lifting Gem. Finally, a small metal bag plopped to the ground next to the other things. Isaac immediately recognized it as the mithril bag containing the Mars Star. Isaac turned back to the message on his desk. Taking the feather pen in hand again, he scribbled more onto the note. After he concluded, he took the bag and stuffed it under his mattress. He turned to the items on the floor and summed them all up. Stuffing the items back into the bag, he strapped the tiny bag to his belt. Next, he picked up his trusty blade, and slung it over his back. Finally, he removed his favorite scarf from his bedpost and wrapped it around his neck, completing the look of the hero who had traveled most of the continent less than a year before.  
  
Now he turned his eyes on the note he had written hastily. Picking it up and proofreading it one last time, he left the message on his pillow, then he proceeded to snuff the dip candle. His work now complete, he marched down the stairs and opened his front door quietly. After closing it, Isaac walked covertly down the deserted streets trying to stay in the shadows. As he crept along, he came across Garet's darkened house and sighed. He wanted to bring Garet with him on this journey, but he determined that this was his mission alone. He pressed on and passed all of his favorite places along the way: The baker's, the armorsmith's, the inn, and the blacksmith. He paused as he passed another cottage; the one belonging to Jenna and Felix. He wanted to say goodbye to his other friends, but he knew he couldn't. Isaac sighed once again and headed for the arch that signified the town limits. He stepped through it, turned back to gaze upon his beloved hometown one last time, and then he ran off into the night, seeking his fate. 


	4. The Search for the Lone Wolf

Garet paced up the path from the blacksmith shop. It was becoming twilight, with the sun slowly sinking to the ground in the west. It had been a hard day at the smithy, especially with Isaac unaccounted for. Garet told Mr. Carson that he was probably still at home, grieving. Carson understood, but Isaac's workload fell onto Garet for the day; needless to say, he was exhausted. Garet, who forgot to stop by Isaac's house in the morning, decided to do so now. He finally reached Isaac's residence, and he knocked on the hard wooden door. No answer. Puzzled, he rapped on the door harder than before. Again, no answer. Frustrated, he pounded on the door with his fist, yelling "Isaac!" at the same time. No answer. Garet reached for the door handle and turned it. It was open, surprisingly, so he stepped inside.  
  
"Isaac? Where are you?" Garet called, his voice reverberating from the hardwood floors and the plaster walls. He searched the rooms downstairs, not spotting his friend, and then he made the pilgrimage upstairs to Isaac's bedroom. The door again, was shut. He pounded on the door, and when he got no response, he simply opened the door and walked right on in. The room was empty; no sign of any life whatsoever. Garet looked left and right, and was preparing to leave, when something caught his eye. There was something on Isaac's pillow. He walked up and inspected his find. It was a letter, and he began to read aloud, but to himself.  
  
"Dear Garet,  
  
I'm sorry I couldn't be here to do this in person, but I have left Vale for my own reasons. There are too many memories in this town for me to stand. Each memory that came to me opened the wound of losing my mother even farther, causing more grief with each thought. My only determination was to leave town and keep my mind focused on something else. I left during the night, as to not arouse the attention of anyone who wished to stop me. I have gone on an adventure alone, to see where my fate sends me and what my destiny is.  
  
I wish I could've said good-bye to you, Jenna, Felix, and the others personally, but I would never have gotten out if I had. I want you to know that you were my best friend, and I thank you for that. Though, I do not wish you to stop me from doing this. I need to find my fate, and I couldn't ask you to join me. I want you to say good-bye to Jenna and Felix for me, and I want you to tell Mr. Carson that I resign from my position at his shop. Make sure you take care of everyone there for me, Garet. I won't return until I discover what my life has in store. Thank you, old friend.  
  
-Isaac  
  
P.S.: I have one last favor to ask of you, friend. I'm leaving you the duty to guard the Mars Star. I have lost my focus on the item, and I believe you'd do a better job keeping it than I. The Star his under my mattress, in the mithril bag Kraden had given me for it. Keep it well, friend."  
  
Garet stood and stared at the note blankly at first, then he re-read it. Confusion, anger, and sadness arose into the boy, as he realized his friend had left him behind, probably for good. He sat on the bed contemplating the meaning of what he had just read, realizing then the Mars Star was underneath him. He pulled the bag from the mattress and stared at it. Isaac wasn't kidding. He'd never let the Elemental Star of Mars out of his sight during his questing, and now he left it for him to take care of. Realizing the reality around him, Garet sprung to his feet, stuffed the note in one pocket, the bag with the Mars Star in the other, and he ran toward the inn. In mere moments, he arrived, breathing heavily.  
  
The innkeeper was shocked by Garet's sudden entrance and was taken breathless. "Garet, is there something you need?"  
  
"Yes! Where's Jenna? It's an emergency!"  
  
"She's in the back, helping with the cooking. What kind of emergency?"  
  
"I'll explain later!" Garet cut short, charging into the kitchen area, almost knocking a tray of food off a counter. Jenna and the cook spotted his rambunctious entrance and immediately glared at him.  
  
"Garet! What are you doing here?! You know I'm busy right now!" She said, while stirring a boiling pot of rice.  
  
"Jenna, it's an emergency."  
  
"What, you forgot how to put on your boots again?"  
  
"Jenna! I'm serious!" He snapped. Jenna's attention was instantly focused on him. "Isaac's gone. He's left town during the night!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Isaac's left town. I have his note right here, look!" He handed her the old piece of paper. Jenna's eyes studied the paper, and eventually got wider.  
  
"He left?! Just like that? Without saying goodbye, or asking us to go with him? What are we supposed to do?!"  
  
"We're going to go after him, that's what we're going to do! At least I am. Are you in?"  
  
"I don't know. . ." She looked to the head chef, who was stunned too. He nodded in approval of her going, and she nodded to Garet.  
  
"Good. Glad to hear it."  
  
"Are you sure this is wise?" Another voice rang out. Garet spun to see Felix standing in the doorway, eyes focused intently on him. "It sounds like he doesn't want to be followed."  
  
"If you read the note, it doesn't say anything about not following him. Besides, even if it did, I'm not letting my best friend go all alone on a journey he shouldn't have gone on alone to begin with!" Garet returned, openly frustrated.  
  
"Relax. I was just thinking of what he implied."  
  
"Well, I'm going whether you like it or not, whether my parents like it or not, or whether Isaac likes it or not."  
  
"I'm with Garet on this one, brother."  
  
"Very well. Pack your things, travel light. We leave in an hour." Felix said, quietly.  
  
"We?!" Garet asked, surprised.  
  
"Yes, we. I'm going with you; I can't let my sister go on this alone. Besides, this is indirectly my fault. Now, enough jabbering. Garet, you've got some explaining to your folks to do. Make it quick, and meet Jenna and I in front of our cottage in one hour."  
  
"Got it." Garet took the note back from Felix and ran off for home.  
  
***********************  
  
"Master Hammet, I need to talk to you." Ivan said, slowly stepping into his guardian's chamber. The chamber was large, built of smooth gray stone, much resembling the walls of a castle. This chamber was more of an office than a throne room, so there was a heavy stained oak desk in the head of the room, and red plush carpeting lining most of the floors. There were bookcases of countless volumes of accounting work and business plans lined against the cold walls of the room, but none near the fireplace; not since the accident a month ago. There was still a burn mark on the carpet nearby.  
  
"Certainly, my boy, come in." Hammet said, looking up from his paperwork. A large grin covered his face seeing his adopted son during his work; he needed a little break anyway. "What is it, Ivan?" Ivan fidgeted lightly before sitting down in a chair across from Hammet. "What's on your mind?"  
  
"That's exactly what I need to talk to you about. You know I have the ability to read minds, right?"  
  
"Yes, I've known since you've returned from your journey."  
  
"Well, my powers have developed recently; I've started having visions. They're always in my sleep, but whatever I see comes true, and whenever my gut tells me to do something, I feel more than compelled to listen." Ivan started. "But that's not what I'm worried about. I felt a vibration in my dream; my dreams tell me to go to Vault. I know something that could affect the entire world might happen soon." Hammet looked stunned.  
  
"Are you sure, Ivan?"  
  
"My instincts tell me I must leave for Vault. Alone."  
  
"Ivan. . ." Hammet sighed. "It seems like you just returned. I was hoping you could stay here in Kalay and become a master merchant."  
  
"If my feelings didn't tell me to leave, I would gladly stay and learn your skills. I just can't. I hope you understand; I don't want to leave, but I'm compelled to."  
  
"When will you be leaving, Ivan?"  
  
"Within the hour. I must be on the move before nightfall. If I do not arrive in Vault in three days, I fear I will not be able to be in time to do what needs to be done." Ivan lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Master Hammet."  
  
Hammet stared at his son, and sighed. "Don't be, Ivan. I can see now that you're destined to be much more than a merchant. Though, can you tell me what drives you to Vault?"  
  
"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that. My instincts tell me to go, so I must."  
  
"Fair enough." Hammet rose from his seat and paced around his desk until he was next to his son. Ivan promptly stood when Hammet stopped. Hammet placed his hand on Ivan's right shoulder. "Ivan my boy, I wish you could stay, but I will not stop you from following your instincts. My father taught me to do the same, and I want you to do what you feel is right. I wish you the best of luck." Hammet's eyes watered as he spoke. It was obvious he didn't want Ivan to go, but he knew he couldn't stand in his way. Seeing Hammet like this made Ivan feel even more upset and reluctant to abdicate his life in Kalay again.  
  
"I'm sorry, Master Hammet."  
  
"Don't say anything. If you want to get out of Kalay before nightfall, you haven't a second to lose. Make haste, Ivan, and find your fate. Go now!" Hammet removed his hand from Ivan's shoulder and pointed to the large wooden door out of his office. Ivan nodded and walked out of the room, his head hung low. Now it was time he had to leave adventuring again. His only regrets were leaving Kalay, and the fact that Isaac and Garet would not be with him this time.  
  
****************************  
  
Isaac reached the city limits of a town he was very familiar with by the rise of the moon. He stood at the gates of Vault, peering into the town where he and Garet had their first adventure outside of their hometown. Vault was not unlike Vale; in fact, one may go so far as to say they were sister towns, instead of just two ordinary towns. The buildings in Vault were nearly identical to those in Vale, so Isaac immediately felt a sense of discomfort upon entering the little town. He wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck as he entered the town, not wishing to be recognized as the hero, but rather just as a traveler. As he spun down an alley to reach the inn faster, he was greeted by a flash of golden light, and a familiar voice sounded. Isaac put his hand to his eyes to avoid being further blinded by the illumination.  
  
"Back in the saddle for another adventure, eh, Isaac?" A small voice called out.  
  
"Who's there?!"  
  
"Why, I'm surprised you don't recognize your old friend. Let me turn down the light show." The light began to fade, and Isaac came face to face with a small, brown creature who was hovering just feet from his face. "Now do you recognize me?"  
  
"Well, I'll be damned. Flint, is that really you?" Isaac asked, suppressing a smile. "My old Djinni pal, how are you?"  
  
"Just fine, considering. I knew you couldn't resist being out on an adventure." Flint replied, landing on Isaac's shoulder. "So, where are the others, anyway?"  
  
"They're not here, Flint. I'm adventuring alone now."  
  
"That's no way to adventure, Isaac. You need a partner; tell you what. I'll do you this favor and let you take me around with you. It'll be just like old times, except without the big oaf." The Djinn smirked.  
  
"Garet, you mean. Well, I suppose I could bring you along with me; it's not like you get in the way. Just keep quiet when we're not around Adepts, okay?"  
  
"Count on it, Isaac. So, what's our first order of business?"  
  
"We go to the inn. I'm hungry and tired; you try making the journey from Vale to Vault on foot in one day."  
  
"Well actually, there was that one time." The Djinn cracked.  
  
"Shut up, Flint." Isaac returned. "I told you never to bring that up again!"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"No matter. Just do your disappearing act and let's make tracks for the inn." Isaac ordered. Flint nodded, transforming into a yellow light, and then the funny little creature disappeared. Isaac smiled, but soon wiped his face clean of it when he reached the local inn. He pushed open the door, and stepped inside.  
  
The inn was lit with candles and the candelabras that hung from the ceiling in places. The inn was bustling with many people eating at tables and at the bar, with several playing cards in one corner of the room. The atmosphere was warm and very inviting, as any good inn should be. The lobby's floors were pine wood, and the walls covered with a creme-colored plaster and several different paintings. Each of the works of art were hand painted by a small-time artist in Vault, but each work came to life in its own way. The innkeeper stood behind the main desk, seemingly distracted with the ambrosial smell of the delicious food they served in the eating area. Isaac cautiously approached and addressed the innkeeper.  
  
"I'd like a room for the night, sir."  
  
"Certainly. It'll be 12 coins for you to stay here tonight." Isaac nodded, and handed over the 12 coins. He was returned with a room key. He accepted the tiny brass key, and he slipped into the eating room. Taking the last empty table, Isaac sat in a chair and leaned against the wall. Shortly after, an attractive waitress came to him and asked for his order.  
  
"I'd like the beef-barley soup, please." Isaac returned.  
  
"What do you want to drink?"  
  
"Water will be fine, thank you." He closed his eyes and let his mind wander for awhile. He was rudely awakened from his daydreams by another figure.  
  
"Excuse me, but do you mind me sitting with you?" A male figure asked. "Every other seat is taken." Isaac opened his eyes to see a male figure, roughly seventeen, with dark brown hair that spiked in a descending row from the front of his head with five smaller spikes spanning out from behind his head, a strange set of blue-tinted glass lenses that covered the person's eyes completely, and a black tunic with blue pants.  
  
"Go right ahead." Isaac kindly returned.  
  
"So, what's your name, traveler?"  
  
"Isaac. And you?"  
  
"The name's Triad Orion. I just arrived here in Vault; I'm a wandering traveler; go where the nearest town is."  
  
"So, you travel too, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, I get around. I also dabble in inventing too." Triad looked left and whispered quietly to Isaac. "I'm trying to invent a flying machine. They say it can't be done, but I'll do it." Isaac now thought the person was mad. Flight was impossible with out the use of Psynergy, and the only one he had seen use it was Alex, and he more or less hovered, not flew.  
  
"You think I'm crazy, huh? So what have you accomplished in your life?"  
  
Isaac paused before answering. "Not much." He lied. "That's why I'm out now." After he finished speaking, the waitress brought his soup and water to him.  
  
"So, what are you questing for? Wealth? Fame? Honor? Love?" Triad asked him. Isaac was busy slurping his soup, so he couldn't reply right away; but he did moments later.  
  
"Destiny."  
  
"Destiny?! What kind of answer is that?"  
  
"What kind of answer was wealth, fame, or honor?"  
  
"A common one."  
  
"Then I'm not a common person." Isaac went back to eating is soup, drinking his water intermittently. The soup tasted very good; there were large chunks of beef and lots of barley, and the vegetables were not overcooked; they retained their flavor in the broth and made the hot meal that much more satisfying.  
  
"No, I guess you're not." Triad continued, sighing.  
  
"Well, what are you out for?"  
  
"Knowledge."  
  
"Your answer's as bad as mine."  
  
"Perhaps it is, but knowledge and destiny are two different things. When are you heading out?"  
  
"Tomorrow."  
  
"Where are you headed, Isaac?" Isaac looked up, not realizing where he was heading. Thinking quickly, he removed his dagger from his belt and placed on the wooden tabletop.  
  
"I'm going to spin this knife on the table, and wherever the blade points when it stops is where I will go." Isaac replied. He gave the knife a snap of his wrist, sending it reeling around on the table top. Moments later, it slowed, and eventually stopped. After Isaac was sure it had halted, he pointed to where the knife did, and said: "I'm going that way. Fate has chosen my path, and I'm obliged to obey it." Isaac finished off what was left of his meal and drink, and slipped the dagger back into its sheath. "Now then, I bid you a good evening. May our paths cross again." Isaac extended his hand in friendship, and Triad shook it. Isaac spun around, left the dining area, and bee-lined straight for his room, where he immediately turned in for the night. 


	5. Cold Reception

It was three days later when Garet, Jenna, and Felix arrived in Vault. Felix and Garet struggled to brace Jenna between them; Jenna had turned her ankle when taking Garet's shortcut through the woods. Not only did Jenna's ankle injury slow them down, they became hopelessly lost for several hours. Needless to say, the girl was less than pleased with Garet's navigation skills.  
  
"You know, Garet, we're lucky Ivan was the navigator on the Lemurian cruiser on the way home; you would've run us aground, I'll bet."  
  
"Will you give it a rest, Jenna? Don't make me regret bringing you along!" Garet retorted. The past two days had been like this; Jenna had done nothing but criticize his leadership time and time again. He wondered if the ache in his head compared to the ache of her swollen ankle. "Let's just find the neighborhood healer and get your ankle patched up." Felix and Garet shouldered Jenna's weight as they towed her around until they finally reached the Sanctum of Vault. Garet pushed open the door with his left arm and leg, and pushed through the doorway.  
  
"Ah, my children. Do you need assistance?"  
  
"Yes, can you heal my sister's sprained ankle?" Felix asked.  
  
"Certainly." The healer walked up and began chanting various phrases in an ancient languages, and a golden light flowed through his arms and into Jenna's left ankle. After the chanting had ceased, the healer put his arms to his sides. "That should do it." Jenna twisted her ankle right and left with no jolts of searing pain and no dull aches. The healing had been a success.  
  
"Thank you, healer."  
  
"My pleasure. Please, have a safe journey, my friends." The healer bid them a fond farewell, and in return for the man's kindness, Garet secretly left 50 coins in the collection box. After they were outside, they paused.  
  
"Now what, Garet?" Jenna asked.  
  
"I'm not sure what we do next, to be perfectly honest. Let's try to ask around and see if anyone's seen Isaac."  
  
"Where should we go?" She asked.  
  
"The inn." Felix responded. "It's likely that Isaac was here a couple of days ago and he probably stayed at the inn."  
  
"Right. I'm going to check the shops and see if he had shown up there. The second stop he always made after the inn was always the item shops; Isaac loved making sure he had enough healing supplies on hand." Garet returned. "You two check the inn, and I'll join you shortly." He dashed off down the road familiar to him toward the item shop. When he was out of sight, Felix turned his brown eyes on to his little sister.  
  
"Why are you so hard on Garet, anyway? He's been doing his best."  
  
"I don't know. It's just; I think he could always do more." Jenna replied, walking slowly toward the inn. Felix mimicked her movement pace and kept besider her.  
  
"Garet's not Isaac. He's not the stereotypical 'fearless and wise' leader. He may be fearless, but Isaac was unnaturally wise for his age; he always had been. Garet's always followed Isaac, so it's kind of hard for him to take the reigns."  
  
"It's just. . . I. . ."  
  
"I think I know what you're getting at, Jenna. I can't help you there."  
  
"You know me too well, Felix."  
  
"I am your brother, after all." Felix replied, opening the heavy wooden door to the inn. Felix immediately turned to the innkeeper. "Excuse me."  
  
"Yes, how can I help you?"  
  
"Do you know if a guy named Isaac checked in here within the past three days?"  
  
"An Isaac? I don't think there was one. What did he look like?"  
  
"About this tall," Felix gestured with his hand, "brown spiky hair, sapphire blue eyes, yellow scarf, somewhat frail in appearance."  
  
"I think we had one like that about three days ago; two nights. Checked out the next morning and immediately left town. Strange lad, he was."  
  
"Did you know which way he was headed?"  
  
"I'm afraid not, sir. If you don't mind my asking, why do you need to know about him?"  
  
"We're friends of his; he up and left our hometown for no reason. We're out to find him. Do you know anyone who might've seen him?"  
  
"I did." A masculine voice sounded behind Felix and Jenna. Jenna became startled by the newcomer, but Felix simply turned to face him. "I saw the Isaac you spoke of. He said something about finding his destiny; he said fate pointed him in that direction." The male replied, pointing at the same place Isaac's dagger had three nights before.  
  
"Thanks." Felix replied, preparing to leave.  
  
"Excuse me, but, what is your name, sir?" Jenna asked the boy.  
  
"The name's Triad Orion. Like I said, I met with Isaac. He's a nice guy, but he seems lost and confused right now. Though, if he's going where I think he is, he'll need help soon. Allow me to offer you my services."  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"I want to help you find this Isaac person you're worried about. You see, I'm an inventor, and I might have some useful tools for use."  
  
"Do you expect some kind of reward?"  
  
"No. I only adventure for the experience in the field. I like to keep my mind and body strong."  
  
"Very well." Felix replied. "Grab your stuff and hurry down."  
  
"All of my stuff is in this bag." He pointed to a small bag on his belt, much like the one Isaac wore. "Never leave home without it." Garet walked into the inn moments later and caught the end of the conversation.  
  
"No sign of Isaac at any of the local stores. I checked every one of them."  
  
"It's no matter, Garet. Triad here has already pointed out Isaac's path; we should get going. Garet, take point and listen to Triad's navigational instruction." Felix ordered.  
  
**********************  
  
Isaac pulled his scarf tighter around his neck; the north winds cut through him like a razor blade through tissue paper. The wind was unforgiving, and the terrain was becoming more and more hazardous. Of all the places Fate would point him, he'd have to get stuck in the Northern Mountain Range. Isaac rubbed his hands together and gazed at his surroundings.  
  
He had already climbed a couple of mountains, but he was through the worst of it. To the north of him lay snow-covered plains and forests, the green standing out from the blankness of the winter's embrace. Though, the plains lay still much further north, he could get to them by nightfall if he was lucky. Isaac gazed around from his mountain top once more. He felt on top of the world, looking down upon everything in the land. There were clouds beginning to gather, but they were the white wisps of cirrus clouds, meaning fair weather, for awhile, at least. The mountain range on which he was looking upon, was vast and extremely beautiful; Garet and Jenna would've loved the view. After he was finished daydreaming, Isaac decided to press forward into the wilderness and try to keep going in the same path the dagger had given him. He began a decent walk down the hilly cliff face of the mountain, and as the terrain leveled out, he marched through 2 inch deep snow toward the plains.  
  
Isaac kept this pace for several hours, finally reaching the plains nearing dusk. The forests looked like a good place to set camp for the night, so he began edging toward the forest, half a mile to the northeast. As he closed to a quarter mile, a strange creature leapt from behind a rock and knocked Isaac to the ground. Dizzy, Isaac leapt back to his feet to face his foe. He gasped.  
  
His opponent was a centaur-like creature, covered in blue fur and with a pale blue skin above the horse's waist line. The creature carried a massive sword in one human hand and a huge shield in another. This centaur had glowering red eyes, gazing upon Isaac with extreme anger and hatred. The creature's human half looked very strong; the horse half looked even stronger. Isaac swallowed hard; he knew he was in for it. The creature growled and leapt forward at him. Isaac hopped out of the way of the attack, but the centaur pressed forward by spinning around and swiping at him again. This time, Isaac used his Earth Shield to block the attack, and he parried the creature's blade with his own. The two fighters' swords clanged and glanced off one another, sending sparks flying everywhere. Eventually, Isaac managed to force his adversary's sword to the ground, but this didn't last long. The creature promptly pulled his appendage free and swiped Isaac with his weapon. Isaac had caught a bad wound to his right side, and he moved his shield arm to apply pressure. The wound bled profusely, leaving many red marks on the snow around him. The cold winds stung at the injury while Isaac sought to return the favor. Determining he'd never find a direct weakness, Isaac decided you use his Psynergy. Isaac paused, and raised his hand into the sky. Puzzled, the centaur stared at his foe, but ceased to attack. Before the creature knew it, it had been struck dead by a sword made of pure Psynergy falling from the sky. Isaac scoffed at the fact that he was reduced to using Ragnarok on a lone creature. Cupping his wound, he determined it would take entirely too long to return to Vault, so he pressed forward, into the woods.  
  
Several more hours passed, and Isaac's wound had stopped bleeding, but the cold still attacked it with enthusiasm. His vision became clouded, and he became very lethargic and tired. Given his poor protection from the cold, he had now developed a serious cough, and his sinuses were becoming congested, causing his head to become very sore. It wasn't the best of days for poor Isaac.  
  
"I'm so tired; why am I like this?!" Isaac asked himself, rubbing his blurred eyes. "Damn. I can't see straight, and why am I so God-damned tired?" He shivered as he came into a clearing from the woods; the wind immediately tore right through his clothes and stung every layer of his skin until it reached the bone. Stamping on the ground beneath him and kneeling to check it, Isaac discovered he had made it to a path of some kind.  
  
Isaac wiped his brow of sweat; he was hot, cold, tired, hungry, and lethargic all at the same time; he couldn't place where he was exactly in that emotional range. Isaac looked skyward to try to navigate with the stars, but to no avail; the sky was covered in low-hanging gray clouds. As he gazed up at the sky, white specks began to gravitate from the sky quickly and heavily. Snow. Just what he wanted to see.  
  
"Damn it! I can't see!" He rubbed his blurry eyes again, then his head. "So tired. . ." The world began to spin around Isaac; he felt like throwing up; but instead, all went black and he passed out into the snowy ground. 


	6. Biding Time

"Miss Mia! Please hurry!" A young female voice rang out ahead. "We have to get back to Imil soon, or we may be stuck out in this storm all night!"  
  
"I understand, Megan. Just remember, I can't move through the snow as well as you and Justin can on that sled!" She returned. Mia gazed into the sky; it had been snowing now for about an hour; it was also accumulating rapidly; it had already snowed four inches, and the snow showed no signs of letting up. Mia stared ahead at the dog-pulled sled that was ahead of her. Megan was riding on the front of the sleigh, while Justin was riding on the back. Both of the young kids were bundled up warmly in fur coats, and Mia had decked herself out with her warmest robes; she knew the journey back from Bilbin would be cold and arduous. There had been a major epidemic of the flu in Bilbin; it got so bad that they had to call for Mia all the way in Imil to get help. Mia had immediately responded, and arrived in Bilbin in near record-time. The journey back was far more difficult; the frozen Imil winters had begun. "Wait, you two. It's getting hard to keep you in sight."  
  
"Okay!" Justin's voice called back to her; she could see the dog sled slowing up, allowing her to keep pace. Mia had allowed Justin and Megan to ride the sled; the walk through the frigid powder might've caused them to get sick. Mia and the sled moved through the snow for another hundred yards when Mia abruptly tripped over something buried in the snow.  
  
"Miss Mia?! Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes, I'm okay; I just tripped over something."  
  
"What was it?" Megan's voice called back, concerned.  
  
"I don't know; let me check." Mia's form, now covered in snow, arose from the place where she had tripped. She bent over and started brushing the snow away from the obstacle she had run into. After a couple moments worth of work, she realized what she was dealing with and gasped. It was a person, lying face down in the snow. She flipped him over and nearly fainted at the sight of his face.  
  
"Isaac?! Wha. . .?"  
  
"Miss Mia! Is everything okay?" Mia didn't respond at first; she was too busy checking Isaac's vitals. He was faintly breathing, and his pulse was light and erratic.  
  
"Megan, Justin! Get the sleigh over here now!" Mia cried to her assistants. They did so, and she told Megan to hop on to the back of the sleigh with Justin. Megan inquired why at first, but spotting the near- dead Isaac she was setting in the sleigh, she quickly complied with orders. "Get this person back to Imil right away, and have him placed into the spare room in our sanctuary, got it?"  
  
"Mia! We can't just leave you out here! There's enough room on the sled for all of us! I'll ride on your shoulders, Mia!" Megan responded. Mia knew Isaac wouldn't have much time if he stayed out in the cold; and she knew it would be fruitless to argue with the young assistants.  
  
"Very well. Let's go." Mia sighed, climbing on the back of the sled. She picked up Megan and put her on her shoulders, and ordered the dogs to mush. The dogs dashed through the snow on a direct bee line for Imil, dashing through forests, gullies and ranges, before finally reaching the town limits.  
  
*************************  
  
"Come on, let's go! We're never going to catch up to him at this rate!" Jenna shouted at Garet as they left the gates of Vault.  
  
"Okay. Which way did he say he was going, Triad?"  
  
"That way." Triad pointed in Isaac's proposed trajectory.  
  
"Good! Team, let's move out." Garet returned.  
  
"Not so fast." A light voice sounded. "You're not going anywhere."  
  
"What?!" Garet spun around. He laughed at the person who was halting them. "Ivan, you goat! What the hell are you doing here?" He smiled, and slapped his friend on the back.  
  
"My instincts called me here; I guess I now know why. The group is back together; but wait. . . where's Isaac?"  
  
"That's who we're looking for, Ivan. Isaac just up and left Vale almost four days ago. We're out to find him."  
  
"Very well then. Consider me a part of your search party." Ivan replied. "I'm ready to move out when you are."  
  
"Good, because we're moving out right now!" Garet exclaimed; rejuvenated by the old friend joining their lineup. Garet turned to the direction Triad had pointed out and began marching. Ivan, Jenna, Triad, and Felix followed his lead into the plains north of Vault.  
  
*************************  
  
Darkness; total and complete; perfect. Nothing worldly affected Isaac, who was still in his unconscious state. How long had passed since he blacked out? Minutes? Hours? Days? He didn't know. All he knew was darkness; until finally, a sliver of light appeared on the horizon. It grew brighter and brighter until the whole of his vision was nothing illumination. Was he dead? Again, he didn't know. Slowly, he heard a melodious sound come to his ears. It must've been the angels humming their heartfelt songs within the gates of Heaven. The sound grew louder, and the light grew brighter until. . .  
  
He woke up. His eyes shot open; Isaac became aware of his new environment. He wasn't dead, nor was he in the snow, for that matter. His head still throbbed, his sinuses remained congested, and every muscle in his body ached. Isaac felt terrible chills running through his spine, so much so he sank back into a near stupor. Finally realizing he had to see where he was exactly, he looked down. He was in a bed; and a very warm one at that. There were several layers of heavy blankets weighing down on him, and his head lay in a soft pillow. The room around him was made completely of wood, but insulated with a strange gel-like substance. This looked like a room of a house; the room also had a fireplace, a few chairs here and there. Isaac slowly rolled onto his back. The humming started again, and this time he was sure he heard it. It was beautiful; relaxing. It was the only sound that did not throb in his burning ears. Isaac rolled to face where the sound was coming from, and saw a figure standing next to the fireplace, stirring something within a pot hanging from the fireplace wall. Isaac couldn't make out a face, so he tried to push himself out of bed. Every nerve ending in his body screamed out in pain, and Isaac groaned; he couldn't move at all. The figure turned after hearing his moan, and slowly approached him.  
  
"You're finally awake." A calming voice said to him. "You were lucky, Isaac." He turned to see his savior; he still couldn't tell who it was. "How are you feeling?" Isaac moaned in return, struggling to speak. "Just relax." A blue light soon enveloped him, and he felt some of his strength return. Now, with eyes at full capacity, he turned his head.  
  
"Mia? Am I dreaming? Where am I?"  
  
"You're not dreaming, and you're in Imil. How are you feeling now?"  
  
"Like I was stomped on by four horses, three goats, seven dogs, and the spirit of Kirin."  
  
"Funny, you almost look like that." Mia joked lightly. "You were in terrible shape when we found you in the snow. If you had been out there an hour longer. . ."  
  
"What's wrong with me? I can hardly move."  
  
"Well, you caught the bug that was going around, first off. The flu bug causes weakened muscles and congestion in the head and chest, generally. Because of your lack of proper weather gear, you caught a nasty chill; giving you an awful fever. That big gash in your side did nothing to help you either. You passed out primarily because of loss of blood and overexertion. After you passed out, you got some mild frostbite and a case of hypothermia. A normal person would probably be dead now." Mia pulled a chair next to Isaac's bed. "You'll be down and out for awhile, Isaac. Best to just relax now." Isaac kept his eyes focused on her.  
  
"I just wish we could've met again under better circumstances."  
  
"It's okay." She smiled. "Just tell me, what were you doing out in the middle of nowhere like that? Where are the others?"  
  
"There aren't any others." Isaac replied, weakly. "I came alone. Second, I just went where fate took me."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Fate; it's where it took me." Isaac responded, coughing heavily afterward. "How long until I can get moving again?"  
  
"You'll be out for a long time on this one, trust me. This isn't as simple as a snake bite or a scorpion sting. If only the Water of Hermes was still flowing from the Lighthouse. . ."  
  
"You mean it's stopped?"  
  
"Oddly, yes. I checked all throughout the Lighthouse and found no trace of a problem; the water simply stopped flowing. . . Though I sense something higher at work here." Mia gazed out a window into the snow covered landscape. "If there wasn't an epidemic here right now, you'd probably be on your feet by now."  
  
"Beg your pardon, Mia?"  
  
"You see, many people in Imil are sick with the flu right now, and I have to heal them. That takes Psy Power, remember? I can only use Ply so much before my power gives out. If so many people hadn't been sick, I could've used a lot of power and healed you almost all at once. I'm sorry, Isaac."  
  
"Don't be." There was a pause when nothing was said, until Mia stood from her chair and walked back to the fireplace and stirred what was in the pot again. This time, she plucked a wooden bowl from the mantle of the fireplace and poured some of the liquid into it. She walked back over to Isaac.  
  
"You'd better eat something to get your strength back up." Isaac sat up with a struggle and pulled his hands from under the covers. They were both heavily bandaged, and he could hardly move his fingers at all. "The frostbite. It got your hands; luckily it wasn't serious, so it Plyed right off; though it's a good bet your hands are still partially frozen."  
  
"Well, how am I supposed to. . ." Isaac turned to say, when a spoonful of hot soup was shoved into his mouth. The soup had hardly any taste, but it seemed to revitalize him from the inside out after he swallowed it.  
  
"That's how you're supposed to eat, Isaac. After you finish, we probably will be able to take those bandages off your hands." Mia continued giving Isaac soup, despite the fact that he felt miffed about being treated like a child. However, because he was without strength, he could do nothing to protest. After he finished, Mia removed the bandage-tape from his hands. There were no visible signs of frostbite, but Mia had been right about his hands feeling frozen. Isaac shoved them under the blankets to warm them.  
  
"Sorry I can't stay with you right now, Isaac. I have to make my rounds and make sure everyone is recovering. I'll be back in a little while. If you need anything, call for Justin or Megan; they'll help you out." Mia smiled, leaving the room and exiting the house. Isaac rolled over onto his back, trying to relax. Though he couldn't help but think about Vale and his friends. He missed Garet and Jenna; this had been the longest time he and Garet had ever been separated. Isaac missed Jenna, too; her smart remarks and quick wit were always uplifting. He then thought back to Ivan; Isaac missed his younger friend, who was the wisest of all he knew. Then he thought of Mia; the one who'd saved his life again. What was this, the twentieth time? He couldn't remember; he'd lost count at twelve.  
  
Mia had always been the quiet one among his friends, often being soft- spoken and withdrawn from him and the others while fitting right in. She was shy, caring, and polite; basically the opposite of Jenna. While Jenna could be polite and caring, she played around by being rude and mocking; though she never meant a word of it. Isaac felt unusually glad to see her again, but he couldn't place why. Eventually, he stopped trying to think and lapsed back into a deep slumber.  
  
Eventually, he was woken up by a light shake on his right shoulder. Isaac mumbled something quietly and opened his eyes. He looked into the face of a young red-haired girl; her eyes were emerald green, and she couldn't have been older than eleven. She smiled at him.  
  
"How are you feeling, Mr. Isaac?"  
  
"Like I was hit by the Judgement of Venus. Better than earlier, though." He said, trying to sit up. His head continued to throb erratically, and he felt no moisture in his mouth. The young girl moved her hand over Isaac's forehead; she quickly recoiled it.  
  
"Your fever's spiked again. I better go get Mia. Justin, where's Mia?" She called to a young boy, about the same age.  
  
"I don't know, Megan. She should be back from her rounds soon." The boy called back.  
  
"Well, go get me a damp cloth; his fever's up again." Justin came in quickly with a dampened cloth and handed it to Megan. "Lay your head back, please." Isaac did what he was told, and the girl slipped the rag onto the middle of his forehead. "There, that should hold his fever until she returns."  
  
"Thank you, Megan." Isaac replied. Isaac moved his hands to his face; the feeling had returned to his hands and he could feel his face sweltering; yet he felt chilled. His nose had cleared out for the most part, and he had a little more strength. The worst of it was his fever; and the damp cloth gave a blissful cooling feeling.  
  
"You're quite welcome, Mr. Isaac."  
  
"Please, just call me Isaac."  
  
"Ok, Isaac. Now, let me see your tongue."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's a way to check how bad your fever is. Just stick it out so I can look at it." He shrugged, but obeyed. The little girl gasped, and then recovered a second later.  
  
"What? What's wrong?"  
  
"You're tongue's so badly coated, it's nearly white. That equates to about a 104 degree fever, doesn't it, Justin?"  
  
"I believe so. Mia will know for sure." The young boy walked into the room. Justin was a little shorter than Megan, but he looked a little older. He had brown hair and eyes, and his face showed a highly intelligent person with a knack for medicine. Both of the young disciples wore pure white robes, stretching all the way to their feet.  
  
"Are you feeling any better, Mr. Isaac?" Justin asked, politely.  
  
"It's just Isaac, and I feel better than earlier. Tell me, how long have I been here?"  
  
"Well, Mia found you almost two days ago; you slept for about 19 hours when we got back, then Mia said you were awake for about an hour, then you slept for another 14 hours. You've been sleeping a lot; that's good. Mia also has been using Ply on you intermittently, which explains the speediness of your recovery." Justin replied.  
  
"I've been sleeping for that long?"  
  
"Yes. Don't concern yourself with that; though if you don't want to sleep anymore, I wouldn't be surprised. Just stay in bed until Mia returns." Justin returned, and on the conclusion of his statement, a wooden creak was heard in the next room, coupled a sound of blasting wind. Next the sound of a person shivering sounded, and Mia walked into the next room.  
  
"It's got to be the coldest winter in ten years out there." Mia remarked to her young disciples. "How's Isaac doing?"  
  
"I've been better."  
  
"Oh, so you're awake, are you? How long have you been up?"  
  
"Not long."  
  
"Miss Mia, his fever's gotten bad again. I think it's around 104, but I can't be sure." Megan replied.  
  
"That's bad. Let me see your tongue, Isaac." Isaac stuck out his tongue and Mia looked at it closely. "You were about right, Megan. His fever is about 104, but it looks like it's going down. Good thinking about the damp rag, too."  
  
"How's the town, Mia?" Justin asked.  
  
"The epidemic has more or less died out. Only a few young children and elderly people remain sick."  
  
"That's great news! You may finally be able to get some rest, Mia!" Megan exclaimed.  
  
"It's been a busy season for you, Mia. Just sit down and relax." Justin said. "We can take care of Isaac."  
  
"By the way, what time is it?" Isaac asked.  
  
"It's probably around 8:30 PM," Mia replied, looking at her hourglass in the corner. "I should get to making dinner."  
  
"I've already started it, Mia. It should be almost finished by now." Justin replied. "Megan's been busy keeping an eye on Isaac for the past couple of hours."  
  
"Thank you, Justin. Let me look in on it." Mia walked over to the fireplace, where she peered into the pot. "The soup smells good, Justin. Thanks again."  
  
"You're welcome." Justin replied, eyes closed. Mia stirred the broth for a few moments, and turned to the mantle, picking up four different bowls and filling each carefully and setting them back onto the mantle. Justin and Megan promptly took their soup, while Mia delivered one to Isaac in his bed.  
  
"How are your hands, Isaac?"  
  
"They're fine, thanks." He replied, accepting the soup from her. "Thank you, Mia."  
  
"You're welcome, but thank Justin for making it."  
  
"Thank you, Justin."  
  
"You're welcome." He replied between spoonfuls of soup. Isaac carefully inserted a spoonful into his mouth, careful not to burn his mouth on the piping hot liquid. Isaac instantly tasted the soup; a nice change. It had a spicy kick, something he wasn't expecting to be able to taste given his fever. The soup had the same effect as the earlier batch on him; energizing him almost fully. He glanced at Mia and Megan, who looked a little surprised by the soup.  
  
"Justin! You added too much pepper!" Megan exclaimed, fanning her tongue.  
  
"I thought it was bland." He responded.  
  
"Well, the soup IS supposed to have a bite, but I think you overdid it a little with the spice, Justin." Mia responded. "Imil Pepper Stew isn't meant to be overwhelming, just warming."  
  
"Sorry. What do you think Isaac?"  
  
"I think it's good!" Isaac responded, slipping more of the meal into his mouth.  
  
"It's probably because you can actually taste it." Mia responded, smiling.  
  
"Actually, it really does have a nice kick."  
  
"Too nice, if you ask me." Megan responded. After a little while, the soup was drained from the pot, Isaac and Justin eating two bowls apiece.  
  
"Wow, you certainly put it away, didn't you, Isaac?" Megan asked.  
  
"Isaac has always liked to eat." Mia replied, stifling a giggle.  
  
"Not nearly as much as Garet, if you remember." Isaac replied, smiling broadly. His strength had returned, and it felt like his fever had gone down considerably.  
  
"Ah, yes. Garet could pack it away, that's for sure." Mia smiled.  
  
"Remember the night before Colosso in Tolbi? Garet ate enough food to feed ten people in one sitting!" Isaac laughed.  
  
"I'd rather not remember; it's amazing he didn't get indigestion the next day." Mia returned, setting her bowl back on the mantle; it joined the other three already up there. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. It's been a long day. Megan, Justin, don't stay up too late. I don't want you to get sick too. Isaac, that goes double for you." Mia pointed. Isaac smiled, but didn't reply. Mia walked into a room adjacent to the room, and closed the door. Isaac turned his eyes on Megan and Justin, who were both studying him.  
  
"So, it sounds like you and Miss Mia had quite a number of adventures together." Megan said.  
  
"Yeah, we did."  
  
"Will you tell me and Justin about some of them?"  
  
"I'm not much of a storyteller, Megan."  
  
"Please?" She asked, giving him the irresistible 'cute' look.  
  
"It might be interesting. I'd like to hear about some of your travels, Isaac." Justin replied.  
  
"Come on!"  
  
"All right, all right. Where should I start?. . ." 


	7. Lone Wanderer

Isaac leapt backwards from the attack directed at him. The Fenrir who missed snarled at him, and another leapt toward him. The two-headed demon dog tackled him to the ground, and was preparing to bite his throat out, when Isaac shoved the flat of his sword into the mouths of both heads. He tried to push them away, but his strength couldn't hold them back for much longer.  
  
"Isaac!" Garet shouted, lunging at the Fenrir who was preparing to eviscerate him. The Fenrir fell limp around Isaac's blade and he pushed him away. Garet pulled his bastard sword from the carcass of the beast and prepared to take on the other three that remained. Ivan, who had just about enough of these annoying creatures, threw his hand into the air. Three vicious tornadoes ripped through the line of hellhounds and sent them flying in several different directions. The Psynergy soon dissipated, and the Fenrirs stood up, more agitated than ever. Mia decided to cool their heels by blasting them with a shot of Tundra, which froze the evil beings to the bone. One of the hounds fell dead, while the other two remained as ferocious as ever. The first Fenrir leapt at Ivan, who managed to dodge out of the way of it's savage charge. The second went for Garet, and latched onto his left arm. Luckily, Garet's gauntlets prevented the dog's teeth from securing themselves into his flesh, but the sheer force of the dog's pulling power could still rip it from its socket.  
  
Acting quickly, Ivan plastered the offending hellhound with a blast of Shine Plasma. The dog promptly let go of Garet, and fell to the ground, electrocuted to death. The final remaining beast leapt back at Isaac, but before it could make its full attack, was smashed back to the ground by a falling magical sword from the sky. Isaac's Ragnarok stopped the demon in its tracks, causing it to wind up much like its compatriots. All four warriors breathed a sigh of relief; they escaped the trap that had been set for them. Now they could proceed deeper into the Venus Lighthouse.  
  
**********************  
  
"Wow, Isaac! That was amazing! I can't believe you guys fought off all those demon dogs! It sounded like they could've killed you!" Megan exclaimed. The room had become very dark with the sun's complete descent. Only the light of the fireplace kept the room from being engulfed in complete obscurity. The light reflected from the left side of Isaac's continence, giving him an eerily godlike look. The glow gave him that much more force in his story. Megan and Justin were partially obscured by the darkness, but their faces remained visible, each with an expression of satisfaction.  
  
"I'll admit, I was excited myself." Justin replied.  
  
"Yeah, that was pretty intense. Saturos and Merandi were really determined to keep us out of the Aerie of the Venus Lighthouse. Sending four ferocious Fenrirs almost worked, too."  
  
"You four sounded like an amazing team." Megan stated.  
  
"Yes, we were. The four of us worked together quite well; I'm glad I found such good friends."  
  
"Hey, can we hear another story? Come on, please?"  
  
"Well, I don't know. It's getting kinda late."  
  
"Oh, come on! Mia doesn't tell about what happened when she left. We want to know!"  
  
"All right." Isaac caved.  
  
Meanwhile, Mia rolled over in her bed. Something was going on in the next room; it sounded like Isaac was talking about something, but she couldn't tell what exactly. She stood from her bed and walked over to the door, and cracked it open slightly a minor sliver of light illuminated her inky black room. She could then clearly hear Isaac's voice.  
  
"So, there we were, on our way to a new land on board a ship. It was the first time any of us had sailed; Garet and I were especially nervous. The captain had warned that monsters could get up on deck and attack; in a worse case scenario, they'd get down into the oar room and take out the oarsmen. Well, the captain had assigned two of the warriors who sought to participate in Colosso to guard the deck, and Garet, Ivan, Mia, and myself were to patrol the lower decks."  
  
Mia smiled. The kids had wanted to know about their adventure. She had never told them, for her own reasons, fearing it may distract them from their studies; but with Isaac here, she assumed it was all right. Intrigued to hear how she thought Isaac saw the adventure, she pulled up a stool from a corner of her room and sat next to the cracked door.  
  
"Well, everything was going great, until we got out into the middle of the lake. Then, the monsters started to attack. Several jumped onto the deck, and the two warriors managed to fend some of them off; inevitably, they got past them and into the oar room. When we got down into the chamber, two of the oarsmen had been wounded, and the rest were at the mercy of the enemies who lurked in the shadows. There were some strange jellyfish-like creatures, more commonly known as cuttles; they were the ones who knocked out the oarsmen."  
  
Mia reminisced about the journey. There were indeed the creatures known as cuttles; they were very irritating; the little pests were not only very resistant to the Mercury element, but they had a nasty poison sting when they hit.  
  
"We rushed down into the hold when we heard the news they had gotten in and injured one of the oarsmen; there had been seven of the little devils who got into the hold. When we finally got down there, they had knocked out another oarsmen. We stood our ground within the hold. Our offensive Psynergy was rendered useless by the close quarters in the hold; we didn't want to sink the boat. Each of the cuttles attacked viscously, but we held them off by defending ourselves. Then, Garet and I lashed at two of the little pests and slew them on the spot. Mia and Ivan aimed for the next one; Ivan's Blessed Ankh staff managed to knock it off balance while Mia finished it with her mace. The remaining four attacked again, and everyone managed to block their blows; that is, except for me. The sting of one of those things hurt like no tomorrow; not to mention the fact they were poisonous."  
  
Mia sat intently listening to Isaac's retelling, which had been startlingly accurate. Not that she expected a slanted story from him, she was just surprised at his brutal honesty about it. Isaac had always said he was fine when he was hurt, but he wasn't being that way when he retold the story. . .  
  
"So, what did you do?" Megan asked, intently listening to Isaac's yarn.  
  
"Well, I didn't know they were poisonous at the time, so I fought on, slaying another one of the little things. Garet sliced the one that got me in half, while Ivan and Mia clobbered the other two. They went down really quickly. Then we had to go find replacement rowers; so we picked the two tour guides, trying to keep the passengers happy. That turned out okay, but for some reason I was growing increasingly tired. Mia then noticed the wound I'd received from the jellyfish. She instantly knew why I was becoming tired; I'd been poisoned, badly at that. She used her Psynergy to purge the poison from my body; undoubtedly saving my life. You see, we were out of Antidote plants at the time; Mia was really a lifesaver.  
  
Anyway, after that, we rowed on without further incident for awhile; until there was a huge thump on the decks above. One of the ship's main attendants rushed down and told us a giant monster had leapt onto the boat and knocked out the two men topside. The four of us rushed to the decks and a giant cuttle was sitting on the poop deck. It was preparing to pull the mast straight off the boat when we arrived. It was obviously very upset about being disturbed before he finished his work. Now that we were on the deck, our offensive powers could be used, so I opened the fight by blasting the thing with a Psynergy skill I call Ragnarok. The magical sword flew from the sky and struck the beast; of course, it did little more than make him more angry. Next, Garet decided to flash-fry it with a Fireball attack. Again, it did little more than irritate the thing. Ivan then cast Shine Plasma, sending the huge creature reeling, but then it got royally mad, so it cast a retaliation Water Blessing on us. The blast of water knocked me and Garet off our balance. The two of us were now soaked, and hopping mad too. Garet lead off with his Elven Rapier and let loose with a devastating Vorpal Slash, causing great pain to our adversary. Then Mia, noticing how Garet and I were hurt, summoned a Djinn to replenish our strength."  
  
"What's a Djinn?" Justin asked.  
  
"A Djinn is an elemental spirit with its own powers. One of them is with me now; let's see if I can call him out. Hey, Flint! Come on out!" With a flash of golden light, the tiny Venus Djinn appeared on Isaac's right shoulder.  
  
"What is it, Isaac?" It inquired.  
  
"These two didn't know what a Djinn was; so I decided to show them."  
  
"Wow! That puny thing has powers?!" Justin exclaimed.  
  
"Powers you wouldn't believe, kid!" Flint replied, angrily. "Care to see them up close?!"  
  
"Flint, please. If you can't control yourself, just phase out."  
  
"Whatever." Flint muttered, disappearing much like he had arrived.  
  
"Now, as I was saying, she summoned a Djinn named Spritz, who patched me and Garet up; using the power of its water of Mercury. Next, I decide to attack with my weapon, and swiped the creature horizontally. The creature was sore now, but the battle remained far from over. Ivan pumped all of us up by summoning one of his Jupiter Djinn, Zephyr. It's power made the four of us move at super speed, easily outmaneuvering the oversized jellyfish. Garet plastered the creature with another Vorpal Slash, while my sword let out a howl and summoned Sonic Smash. The speed of Zephyr combined with the power of the weapon did a great deal of damage, but it was insufficient to slay the monster. Next, Mia struck with her Sacred Ankh and drained the creature's vitality. We had it on the ropes now. Stunned from the massive amount of damage dealt to it, we were able to strike once more. Ivan summoned the power of Jupiter, using the previously summoned Djinn. The gusts of dangerous winds seared right through the creature, perforating its body in a number of places. Next, Mia summoned the spirit of Mercury; the riptide shocks tore through the evil creature and left it open for further attack. Next, I struck with the power of my Swift Sword, summoning Sonic Smash once more. Next Garet slashed at the creature for a final time, slaying the beast, knocking it overboard and into the sea. The creature was defeated and we could continue with our journey after Mia and I tended to the wounded."  
  
"You mean you're a healer too?" Megan asked, puzzled.  
  
"Not in the true sense of the word. I do possess some healing Psynergy, but it stops short at healing anything more than physical injuries; I can't heal disease, poison, dispel any unpleasant conditions, or do much else so my power is quite limited. While I had my minor skill, Mia was far more talented in healing in every way."  
  
Mia smiled; Isaac was being quite modest; he had been modest twice in the past few minutes; it had been him who had slain the giant cuttle, not Garet. He also played down his own skill as a healer; while he spoke the truth about not being able to heal much more than physical wounds, he more than excelled at it. Torn flesh and broken bone weren't problems for Isaac; he just casted Cure and the injured moved on.  
  
"So, Miss Mia saved your life when you aboard that boat?" Megan asked.  
  
"Yes, she did."  
  
"You also say she was a lifesaver; did she save your life again?"  
  
"Yes, quite a number of times, I might add."  
  
"Did you ever save her?"  
  
"Well, not really. . . maybe once."  
  
Mia smiled again; he was either being modest again or was just oblivious to what had happened during the course of their adventure. She knew he had to have been modest, because he was quite aware of himself and others during the trip. In fact, Isaac had saved her life easily as many times as she saved his; his excellent swordplay and noble spirit protected her and everyone else in the group a number of times.  
  
"When was that once?" Justin asked, curious.  
  
"At the Mercury Lighthouse; and I really didn't save her; me, Garet, and Ivan did it together. You see, Mia couldn't get past a Lizard Man who was blocking her path through the Lighthouse, so Garet, Ivan, and I killed it for her. That's basically it."  
  
Mia frowned; when Isaac had said Mercury Lighthouse, she had thought he was referring to saving her from Saturo's blade in combat; the evil man was about to bring his viscous sword down on her, when Isaac glanced the blow away using his own broad sword.  
  
"Isaac, may I ask you a question?" Megan asked.  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"Well, you really speak highly of Mia. . ."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Well. . . do you like her?"  
  
"Beg your pardon?" Isaac asked, taken off guard and confused.  
  
"Do you like her? It seems like you two, well, you know."  
  
"I. . . uh. Well, um. . ." Isaac stuttered, still stunned at the outright question.  
  
"You do, don't you?"  
  
"I, um. . ."  
  
"I knew it! You love Miss Mia, don't you?"  
  
"No! It's not like that!" Isaac snapped into reality. "She's a friend, nothing more."  
  
"If she's just a friend, how come your face is beet-red?" Megan asked, playfully pointing out Isaac's blushed face.  
  
"The fever must be coming back."  
  
"Not likely. Just admit it!"  
  
"There's nothing to admit to!"  
  
Mia sat back, as stunned as Isaac. Megan's sudden question seemed to strike a chord within her too. Isaac, despite his excellent leadership and strong will, had always been a terrible liar, and she could tell he was playing defense here. It was clear to her now that he was hiding his feelings; not unlike the Isaac she knew before they separated. She wanted to go out and ask him herself, but couldn't muster up the strength to do so. She decided to see how things played out.  
  
"Why don't you just admit it? You'll feel a lot better once you tell someone."  
  
"I already told you, there's nothing to admit to. If you don't believe me, that's your decision."  
  
"Well, I don't believe you at all."  
  
"I think Megan has a point, Isaac. You're a lot of things, but a good liar is not one of them. Your argument's as transparent as a piece of glass in a floe of snow." Justin replied, half-coldly. Isaac knew he was backed into a corner on this one; not even he knew what he felt, but these children seemed to sense it way before he ever knew what it was. He kept silent for a long time.  
  
"Come on, just say something." Megan urged.  
  
Mia was still taken by this; Isaac had withdrawn; something he was not known for doing. Now she knew for sure; Isaac did have feelings for her. She knew this much by his silence.  
  
"There's nothing more to be said, Megan." Isaac replied coolly. "You seem to think you have all figured out; I'm not going to argue with you. It's getting late. Mia told you not to stay up late."  
  
"She told you the same thing, Isaac." Megan responded, a light jeer in her voice. "Besides, I'm not going anywhere until you admit it."  
  
"Then you'll have to explain to Mia why you didn't get a full night's sleep."  
  
"Don't worry, I will." She smirked. Isaac had just realized he had made a big mistake by giving that ultimatum. If he hadn't said anything, he might've avoided embarrassment, but now he was stuck for sure. If he didn't say anything, Megan would move on her assumptions, and if he did, Megan would undoubtedly blab it out anyway. He remained silent, contemplating his next move.  
  
"Your silence says it all, Isaac." Justin replied. "There's no further use hiding it." Isaac sighed, realizing he had been beaten.  
  
"I guess you two figured it out before even I could." Isaac sighed. "I guess you were right, you two."  
  
"I knew it! I always thought you two would make a perfect couple!" Megan exclaimed. "I knew from the day Mia said she was leaving to go with you on your quest that you two would fall in love!"  
  
"No, you didn't, Megan." Justin replied. "Besides, Mia might not like him in the same way."  
  
"I don't know; she's always spoken very warmly of him."  
  
"Well, which ever the case may be, at least we got it out of Isaac."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I can't believe I've been successfully interrogated by a couple of kids. . ." Isaac muttered to himself. "Well, you're smarter than the average kid, I'll give you that much. Well, now that you beat that out of me, why don't you two go to bed? It's late, and we will all be in for it if you get sick."  
  
"You're right, Isaac. Let's go, Megan; besides, Isaac needs his rest." Justin stood, pulling Megan to her feet and dragging her into their bedroom.  
  
Mia stood from her chair; she could now go out and address him, but given his recent condition, the added stress might cause him to relapse into a fever; intense emotion was likely to do that, and Megan's meddling might have caused him to relapse anyway. She decided to wait until morning to talk with him. She closed her door fully and slipped the stool back to its proper location. She then crept back to bed, and soon fell into a deep sleep.  
  
******************************  
  
That morning, Isaac stretched as he awoke from a restful night's sleep. Despite the tussle between him and Megan, his sleep was deep and sound. He glanced over, seeing Megan and Justin reading books regarding healing, and Mia looked like she was preparing to make breakfast.  
  
"Sleep well, Isaac?" Mia asked.  
  
"Just fine." Isaac replied, trying not to sound nervous.  
  
"That's good. Breakfast should be ready shortly. Just let me add the. . . great." She said. "Looks like we ran out. I thought we had some more meat in here."  
  
"Did you place the order at the butcher's yesterday?" Justin asked, politely.  
  
"Oh yes, that's right. I'm also running out of several spices."  
  
"I can go get you the spices, Mia!" Megan popped up.  
  
"I'll go get the meat, if it helps." Justin replied, setting his reading aside.  
  
"That'd be great, thanks!" Mia smiled. "Be careful out there, and watch out for ice."  
  
"We will." Justin returned, moving into the foyer with his sister. The door soon opened, and swiftly closed. After Mia was sure they had left down the path, she turned to add more of the ingredients to the morning meal. Isaac was now on his feet for the first time in a couple of days, and he stretched all of his muscles out. It was very relieving.  
  
"You're feeling better, I presume?" Mia asked him, without turning around.  
  
"I feel like a million gold pieces!" Isaac said, as he walked over. "What are you making, anyway?"  
  
"It's a type of beef stew; I know we've been having a lot of soups lately, but. . . you just can't get a lot of variety during the winter here in Imil."  
  
"I'm not complaining."  
  
"That's good. . . oops!" Mia fumbled the small glass container of garlic and it plummeted toward the ground. It made its impact not into the floor, but into Isaac's leather glove. "Thanks, good catch."  
  
"Mia, I can't help but notice. . . You seem distracted this morning; is something on your mind?" She glanced back at him for a second before poking the fire down to a low roar. Then she turned to face him directly.  
  
"I heard you telling stories to Megan and Justin last night."  
  
"You heard? Sorry, I guess I must've gotten carried away and gotten a little loud. Sorry if I woke you." Isaac said, sheepishly.  
  
"It wasn't that I was concerned about."  
  
"Did you just not want me to tell them about the adventure?"  
  
"No, I was going to tell them eventually anyway."  
  
"Well, what's wrong then? You seem awfully stressed over a few stories."  
  
"Please don't play dumb, Isaac; you're not very good at it. You know what I'm talking about." Mia replied. Isaac took a step back, shocked. After a moment, he sighed.  
  
"Well, I guess you heard, then."  
  
"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked. Isaac looked confused. This wasn't the reaction he'd been expecting. He had half expected her to just cut him down to size right there.  
  
"I didn't know myself. . . I'm sorry."  
  
"I think you were worried about something else."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I think you didn't accept it because you didn't know how I felt, Isaac." Isaac looked away for a moment. "Isaac, I did some thinking myself last night. I remembered back to when we met in the Mercury Lighthouse. I sensed I could trust you then, and I was right. You've always been kind and honorable; selfless and just. Though. . ." Isaac swallowed hard; he knew a bomb was going to be dropped here. "I had always had this feeling, of something else. Isaac, I'm not going to put this off any longer. I've been meaning to tell you since we were on the boat sailing to Lumuria, and I might not get another chance to tell you. Isaac, I. . ." She stopped. "love you." Isaac's expression flashed several different emotions all at once. "I've known since the Colosso tournament in Tolbi." Nothing more was said for a long time. Both parties couldn't think of what to say next.  
  
"I've had the feeling; since even before we defeated Saturos and Merandi at the Venus Lighthouse. I didn't know what it was until last night, when your two disciples hammered it out of me. I knew then."  
  
"Isaac, just answer me one other thing. Why were you out questing alone? What happened?"  
  
"My mother passed away in Vale; I couldn't stand being there anymore; I couldn't stay, too many memories. So I left to find where destiny took me. My fate pointed me north of Vault, and you found me. Though, I still don't feel as though I found my destiny, even here."  
  
"I understand. When will you be departing?"  
  
"As soon as possible. Within the hour."  
  
"Why so soon?"  
  
"Destiny waits for no one."  
  
"I understand. Isaac, please wait here." Mia left the room, and returned with a small box. "I want you to take this. It's an amulet, handed down from the Mercury Clan, symbolizing hope. Take it to remember me." Mia said, removing it from its box. The amulet was octagonal in shape, coated in the shiniest of platinum, embedded with a large blue gem in the middle of the polygon. Along the outside edge was an inscription, written in ancient Mercury script. The amulet seemed to sparkle with its own life, shining the morning sunlight throughout the room. She slipped it around Isaac's neck, and he could say nothing. "You'd best leave now, before Megan and Justin return." Mia sighed, sadly. Isaac nodded, wordlessly and depressed, and picked up his gear from next to the bed from which he slept. After slipping on his equipment, he took one last look at Mia, whom was obviously holding back tears, and left the house, and just as quickly, took his leave from the town of Imil. 


	8. The Chaos Factor

Isaac pushed forth through the cold tundra east of the town of Imil. He had left town about twelve hours before, and he regretted it very much. He missed Mia tremendously, but he couldn't bring himself to return. Instead, he tucked his head lower to thwart the icy wind of the mountain. The path he took was uphill all the way, and there was a fair amount of powder on the ground. Normally, he would've covered at least three times the ground he had made today; he had only marched twelve miles from the town limits. Isaac pushed his Earth Shield in front of him to further protect him from the tearing wind, and he was less than a mile from the summit of the mountain. The mountain wasn't tall, but the path was sloped enough to make it rough going. Isaac ignored the aches in his mind and heart; pressing forward, more determined than ever. After a long, arduous march, he reached the peak of the mountain, and rested next to a large boulder. He set his equipment down and sighed, sitting on his shield. Looking down on the horizon, he could see the smoke rising from the chimneys of Imil. He turned away, not wanting to think about the town. He rested his head against the giant rock behind him. He closed his eyes and prepared to sleep when a voice boomed from behind him.  
  
"COMRADES!" A deep, booming voice sounded. Isaac leapt from his dozing and peered out from the rock. There was a huge camp in the gully below him; the camp was infested with hundreds upon hundreds of ice centaurs. They were the same type that attacked him before he arrived in Imil. There were tents and campfires everywhere, not to mention the sheer number of centaurs poised around each of them. The largest of the creatures stood on a small stone spire on the other side of the campsite. Isaac guessed he was the leader, but was scarce to identify much else in the site. "HEAR ME!" All of the centaurs pitched their heads in the direction of the elevated one.  
  
"My comrades, we stand upon the hour of our victory! For decades, the humans have destroyed our lands and our people. We now sit upon the hour of our revenge. For as soon as our trump card is laid, we shall rule over the humans with an iron fist! The first of the human villages to fall shall be the one that is the biggest eyesore in our beloved continent! Now, what was the name of that village?!" The leader bellowed in a thunderous voice, shaking the ground under Isaac.  
  
"IMIL!" The crowd shouted back.  
  
"That's right! Then we shall march to the Mercury Lighthouse and take back what is ours! The power of Mercury shall lay in our hands, not the hands of the foolish Mercury Clan! They shall be the first to taste our swords!" A huge cheer arose from the crowd. Isaac's heart jumped into his throat. Mia was the primary descendent of the Mercury Clan, and Justin and Megan were members too! He wanted to take off and warn them, but he held his position. "Yes! That's exactly what we want from you! The warrior spirit; especially after the defeat of our greatest champion just days ago by the hands of a human! Rest assured, whomever killed him shall meet a gruesome fate!" Isaac's expression further tightened. He was the one who had slain their greatest warrior; it only could've been him. "However, I know you all thirst for the blood of the humans, but we must await our trump card; it should arrive in two days. Though, I know how much you want to attack, so if it doesn't arrive, we shall strike in two days anyway! The people of Imil are not warriors, but they have been known to be uncannily resourceful, especially their healer, Mia!" Isaac jumped again. The leader knew about Mia and her healing powers! That meant she was in even greater danger than before! "However, our attack will catch them completely off guard. Though, we do have a contingency plan; the attack will proceed in three waves, each a day apart. The Imilians will believe we've been defeated each time, and we can surprise them each time. We do not expect the attack to take more than one wave, but we are prepared. Should the attack take all three waves, I shall join you in our joyous slaughter! VICTORY IS OURS!" The creature shouted.  
  
"SIRIUS! SIRIUS! SIRIUS!" The crowd shouted, but their leader put a hand up to silence them.  
  
"Our prize will be worth the sacrifice! Let the blood of the humans flood the rivers and lakes!" The leader shouted again. "Remember! 48 hours! I bid you farewell until then!" The leader leapt from his perch amidst the cheering of his people. Isaac slumped back, taken completely aghast. He couldn't fight them all by himself, but he had to do something; he only had one option. Return to Imil and evacuate the town before the attack struck! It would take him hours to get back down the slope on foot, leaving maybe 40 hours at most for total and orderly evacuation, not to mention travel time to get away. Odds were, it wasn't going to happen; the closest town was Bilbin, and that was quite a substantial journey on a normal person; let alone a child or an elderly person. Enough of that; he tried to think on how he could get to Imil faster than on foot. He didn't have any other way. He stood from the ground and picked up his shield. Isaac brushed the snow off the front of his shield and continued thinking. Wait! Isaac looked at the front of his shield; it was smoother than a sheet of glass. Perfect!  
  
"I know! I'll use this like a sled to get down the hill fast! I'll be back in Imil in an hour!" He mumbled to himself. He set the shield on the threshold of the curve, and sat down on it again. He peered over the ridge; it was a straight shot to Imil, but he'd have to dodge objects along the way. He was beginning to have second thoughts, but he pushed them away with the thought of what would happen if he was too late. Using his feet, he pushed the sled past the threshold and then could feel gravity making its point.  
  
"Whoooooooooooa!" Isaac clutched the top of his shield and held on for dear life. The slope was steeper going down than up; he accelerated to easily 40 miles per hour. The pine trees ahead came up quickly. Isaac gasped, pulling his renegade sled to the right, swerving to barely miss a tree. The conifers continued coming up on him, but he used his feet as brakes and pushed himself left and right to avoid crashing. After dodging the final tree, he could feel his shield wobble beneath him; if he didn't pull his ride back into a straight path, he'd crash. Grabbing the front of his shield, Isaac yanked back hard, trying to slow the makeshift runner sled to a controllable speed. Isaac noticed the terrain ahead and gasped. Moguls! Isaac used his feet in a vain attempt to slow himself, but the upcoming moguls threw him all over the slope. Isaac now knew; he probably just made a big mistake by choosing to sled.  
  
****************************  
  
"Miss Mia, why did Isaac leave so soon?" Megan asked.  
  
"He didn't say. He just said he had to leave."  
  
"I wonder why." Justin remarked, lightly glaring at Megan.  
  
"Couldn't tell you." Mia sighed, gazing out the window.  
  
"You miss him already, Mia?" Justin asked.  
  
"He came as quickly as he left." She sighed again. Still gazing out the window, she noticed a streak of kicked-up snow from the mountain to the east, heading straight for Imil. "What the?"  
  
"What is it, Miss Mia?" Megan asked, joining her at the window. "It looks like something's coming down the mountain, and fast!"  
  
"That's the way Isaac was headed! I wonder what's going on?" Mia asked. Megan and Justin glanced at each other, and Megan ran outside giggling, while Justin followed with out making a sound. "Hey you two! Get back here, it might not be safe!" Mia chased after them, following them all the way past the town gates. "What do you think you two are doing? It could be dangerous!" She exclaimed, catching up to where they had stopped. The missile coming down the hill was heading straight for them, but with all of the kicked up powder, it was impossible to discern what they were dealing with. As it closed within 20 yards, it began to slow to a stop. "What?" The projectile stopped just short of them, kicking up snow into Megan's and Justin's faces.  
  
"Fancy meeting you here!" Isaac nervously joked, still sitting on his shield.  
  
"Isaac?! What are you doing here?" Mia asked, surprised to see him return so soon; she didn't expect him to return at all. The nervous smile faded from Isaac's face, and a look of extreme concern and fear. "What is it?"  
  
"There's danger! I need to talk to the mayor right NOW!" He shouted, leaping up, shield in arm.  
  
"What kind of danger?"  
  
"I'll explain when we get there. Justin, Megan, go on home; this is important, and please listen to me! Come on, Mia!" He said, grabbing her by the wrist, surging back to town through the snow. Justin and Megan obeyed and headed for their home. Isaac continued tearing through the town, Mia still trying to keep up.  
  
"Isaac, what's going on?!"  
  
"No time!" Isaac replied, reaching the mayor's house. He rapped on the door heavily, while panting just as hard. The door swung open, and a middle-aged man answered.  
  
"Mia? What's going on?"  
  
"Don't ask me. Ask Isaac." She said, in-between breaths.  
  
"Mayor, the town's in serious danger! I must speak with you, alone with Mia, if possible!"  
  
"Well, come in. Let's move to the parlor." The mayor said, concerned. Isaac and Mia stepped in, making sure to clean their feet off; a strange gesture by one in such a hurry. They followed the mayor into the parlor, and he took a seat at his desk, while Isaac and Mia sat in the two seats in front of it. "What is it that's causing the town to be in danger, Isaac?"  
  
"Long story short, I was in the mountains less than an hour ago when I ran into a centaur camp; I overheard them planning to attack Imil and storm the Mercury Lighthouse in two days! They're going to try to wipe out the town!"  
  
"What?!" The mayor exclaimed.  
  
"Ice Centaurs; they've been continually more aggressive on caravans coming from Bilbin in the past months." Mia replied. "What do they plan to do at the Lighthouse?"  
  
"They say they're going to take the power of Mercury for themselves. To make matters worse, their primary target isn't just the Lighthouse and Imil, it's the Mercury Clan itself!"  
  
"What?! You mean they're out to kill the Clan and the town?! We need to call a town meeting right away!"  
  
"I agree, but we need to devise a strategy first." Mia replied.  
  
"Evacuation was my first thought; until I heard about the Lighthouse. Then I knew we couldn't up and leave." The mayor replied.  
  
"How are the odds, Isaac?" Mia asked.  
  
"Not good. There's at least four hundred of them, probably more, possibly reaching into the thousands. I had trouble defeating ONE out in the boonies before you found me."  
  
"That is bad." Mia frowned.  
  
"Sounds like we have but one option." Isaac sighed, believing the only option was retreat, even factoring in the danger of the Lighthouse.  
  
"Defend our home!" The mayor shouted. "Imil had fought one war against the ice centaurs in the past; shortly after our town was founded! We will not surrender to them! I'm calling a meeting!" The mayor stormed out of his office and his voice could be heard talking to his aide.  
  
"Mia, I didn't bring this up to the mayor; their primary target here in Imil is you." Isaac said, sadly.  
  
"I anticipated as such." Mia sighed. "I just wish I wasn't such a burden to this town."  
  
"Mia, I want you to know that I stand ready to defend you with my life." He whispered, extreme meaning in his voice. "I won't let them get you even if it is beyond my power to stop them."  
  
"Isaac. . ." Mia returned heartfully returned. Before she could say more, the mayor returned into the room.  
  
"Let's go to the town square; my aides are rounding up everyone as we speak. Move!"  
  
"It sounds like you have a plan, mayor." Isaac stated, following the mayor out to the town square.  
  
"I do. Luckily, the original walls of our town remain in place and in great condition; we have fortification; now we need warriors."  
  
"You have one." Isaac responded, gesturing to himself. "My sword is yours."  
  
"Excellent, but we have plenty of people ready to fight, I'm sure." The mayor responded. They reached the town square, and climbed onto the large wooden stage where the people could see them all clearly. In a few moments, all the people of the village of Imil were gathered beneath the stage.  
  
"Citizens of Imil, we are facing a crisis! For decades, the people of Imil have lived in peace nestled in this mountain region, now we must prepare ourselves. The one invader force who have dared to attack us in the past is now planning to attack us again! You elders will know instantly know what of which I speak. The ice centaurs have returned, and they seek to destroy our fair town once again! The town needs your help to fight them!" The crowd looked on, stunned. No one spoke a word; a breath was hardly heard. "We already have one brave warrior who will stand against the might of the enemy! As strong as he may be, he couldn't save us all. We need your help." The crowd remained silent and motionless, until one man raised his hand.  
  
"You have my allegiance, Mr. Mayor!" The man said. Slowly, more hands began to raise.  
  
"I'm ready to fight!"  
  
"I stand ready!"  
  
"We're not going to let a few horse-men shove us by the wayside!"  
  
"Let's hunt some centaur!"  
  
"Yeah! For Imil!" The shouting continued until just about everyone in the town volunteered their hand in defending the town. Isaac, Mia, the Mayor, and the small guard force of Imil breathed a heavy sigh of relief.  
  
"The enemy will be here within 46 hours; you have that long to prepare for the fight. All those who have volunteered who have no military training shall be given a crash course in archery. All who wish to defend, form one line to the right. All who wish to heal, supply or otherwise help out, stand to the left. All those who wish to do nothing, you have no business here; get out of my sight."  
  
Every able-bodied man in Imil stood to the right, along with several women. Isaac descended from the platform and joined his fellow soldiers, heading the line. Whoever in town was left, stood to the left; no one had left the town square; no one wished to do nothing. Mia walked from the stage and stood at the head of the left line. She stood directly across from Isaac, who gave her a look of hope and determination. She smiled back, showing her appreciation and care. The mayor then followed Isaac's lead, and joined him on the right side.  
  
"This is my town too; I will defend it like any man would!" A huge cheer erupted to commemorate his statement.  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Mayor." Isaac said.  
  
"Please, call me Edward. Edward Giles."  
  
"Very well, Edward. I had no idea you were a warrior." "Not a warrior, per se. I do hold the title of 'Longbow Champion of the Year' for 10 years running." He said, smiling. "Now then, we have work to do." 


	9. Valor

"No! No! No! Draw the string back, aim, aim again, and then fire! Don't just fire at random! We don't have unlimited arrows, you know!" The commander of the security forces shouted at a recruit.  
  
"Captain, that's not necessary. They are recruits, go easy on them." Isaac told him.  
  
"Isaac, I respect your experience, but we have a war to win here; we need everyone in their top form!"  
  
"I don't disagree, Captain. You're merely pushing too hard. Try again, sir." Isaac told the archer. The archer nodded, knocked an arrow, aimed and fired. It hit the target bulls-eye dead in the center. "See, they can do it if they're not shouted nervous into it, Captain."  
  
"Isaac, we have less than three hours before the attack; we can't afford to be soft now. We do what we must; I'm sorry, but please, let me do this my way."  
  
"Very well, Captain; I did put you in charge, so do what you think is best for this town, but don't lose your compassion because of it."  
  
"Understood, sir." The Captain responded. Isaac saluted the soldier, and walked back to his troop of men to train.  
  
"All right, soldiers. Let's run through it again! Knock!" All fifty archers in Isaac's squad simultaneously picked up their bows, and placed an arrow on the string. "Aim!" The archer's composite bows pointed toward the bulls-eye targets in front of them. "Fire!" A flurry of speared projectiles flew through the air and each struck their target at nearly the same time. Most of the shots had hit the bulls-eye or the ring around the bulls-eye. Any remaining arrows were willy-nilly in the target. Isaac sighed in relief. At least the people of Imil were easy to teach; despite their stragglers, most could hit the targets where they needed to be hit. Still others could shoot a bowstring to save their lives. Isaac signaled for them to be at ease, and set forth to dislodge the arrows from the targets; despite their now dulled heads, it was the only option they had. Ammunition was not in ample supply, so shots they did make would have to count.  
  
For each arrow he pulled, he imagined one centaur warrior who would never raise a sword in battle again. Isaac was torn by this thought; he abhorred death, and if there was thing he hated more than death itself, it was senseless death. Yet, the only choice he was left with time and time again was to kill; a fact of which he was never proud of. He never took pride in slaying many of the creatures who were corrupted by the Psynergy Stones, though he knew it had to have been done. He still cursed himself for every kill of a once benign creature of the wilds. Though this was true, he had no repentance for the demons he slew; Fenrirs, Hellhounds, Sirens, Nightmares, Chimeras, Undead, it didn't matter to him; demons were fair game. The thing that bothered him the most was the fact that he didn't know what the centaurs were; a product of nature twisted and corrupted by the Psynergy Stones, or a product of pure evil, like several of the types of demons he had come across before.  
  
He then remembered Mayor Giles' remarks about the previous attack on Imil decades ago; no Psynergy Stones had existed anywhere outside of Vale at that time. He determined then that the centaurs were originally a warlike creation of nature, twisted by evil; and then possibly further corrupted by the Psynergy Stones. He plucked the final arrow from the last target and deposited them in a bin near the blacksmith's establishment. The arrowheads would be re-sharpened so the arrows could be reused in the upcoming siege. The people of Imil would need every shot their bows could muster to fend off the enemy and save their homes. While the outlook was grim, Isaac was sure to remember that the Imilians had several advantages; the element of surprise, fortification, skilled archers for defense, defense of their own hometown, and possibly most important, two Psynergy Adepts. Mia's power would undoubtedly keep the forces of defense alive, thanks to her Ply ability, and then there was himself; if things got really bad, he could summon Quake Sphere to shake up the enemy and use his own Cure abilities to heal if Mia grew too weary to continue. Isaac sighed, and turned into an alley way. He was headed to the inn to get some warm food; the warriors had eaten two hours ago, while he skipped lunch to help re-sharpen arrowheads and swords. He was alone in the alley when a familiar flash of light greeted him. Flint stood perched on a nearby barrel, and looked curiously at the fatigued Isaac.  
  
"Quite a pickle you've gotten yourself into this time, eh, Isaac?" Flint inquired.  
  
"You don't know the half of it, old friend." Isaac replied, turning toward the Djinn.  
  
"I've seen everything that's gone on here; you're going to need help, and I've got it. I'm sure you're grateful." Flint remarked. Isaac glanced left and right, not spotting anything.  
  
"I don't see anything, Flint."  
  
"That's because they haven't arrived yet, Isaac. I've called for Djinni reinforcements. Ah, I sense some of them are arriving now." Flint turned, and several quick flashes of light flickered in and out, each leaving behind a new Djinn.  
  
"Greetings, Isaac." Ground said.  
  
"It's been awhile, warrior." Corona replied.  
  
"It's good to see you, Isaac." Fizz entered.  
  
"The winds of destiny have chosen to have our paths cross again." Zephyr interjected.  
  
"I'm ready to fight." Bane stated.  
  
"I am ready." Vine replied.  
  
"Does someone need help?" Spritz inquired.  
  
"I'm here, and awaiting orders." Forge exclaimed. Isaac stood dumbfounded at just the first wave of Djinni; these eight new Djinni plus Flint gave them that much more help. These little creatures didn't look like much in size, but their power within was unimaginable.  
  
"Wow, I'm impressed, Flint! You've undoubtedly just saved the lives of lots of people just with these eight recruits."  
  
"It's the least I could do. More are on their way, but I don't know if the rest will arrive in time to help. Regardless, you now have a few trump cards up YOUR sleeve."  
  
"Speaking of which, do you happen to know what the Centaur's ace up their sleeve is?"  
  
"Couldn't tell you, Isaac. Whatever it is, I can't find out what. Though, I'll try to look into it once more before the attack. Stay calm, Isaac, and keep your feelings focused; you'll need a keen mind to pull this off." Flint returned. The Djinn quickly bowed, and disappeared in his standard flash. Each of the other Djinni quickly followed suit. Filled with a renewed sense of confidence, Isaac pressed on to the inn. He entered the inn, only to see countless people at work and on the move; preparing beds, medical supplies, food, drink; you name it. The inn was large, wooden, and very similar to Mia's house. There were two fireplaces, both flaring brightly with iron pots hanging over them, beds all over the bottom floor, but with all the traffic, it was hard to make out much else. Isaac walked in, and one of the attendants quickly took note.  
  
"Ah, Isaac. Mia's been looking for you; she says you weren't at lunch and she wants to speak with you."  
  
"I wasn't."  
  
"Well, you'll find her with the nurses on the second floor. They're preparing Antidotes and Elixirs for anything that might go wrong out there. Just make sure you knock before you enter the chamber; some of them are a tad irritable right now with nerves. Go on up."  
  
"That's understandable. Thank you." Isaac climbed the stairs and rapped on the door at the top of the stairs.  
  
"Who is it?!" A sharp voice sounded from within.  
  
"It's Isaac; I believe Mia wanted a word with me earlier."  
  
"Hang on." The voice replied. "She's coming." Soon the door opened, and Mia stepped onto the landing. She shut the door behind her and greeted Isaac.  
  
"Mia, you wanted to speak to me?"  
  
"Yes, come with me." Mia said, walking down the stairs past him. Isaac followed, and she led him out of the inn and onto the streets. The cobblestone paths had nearly frozen over; many areas were covered in a thin layer of ice, so they were forced to move carefully. As they walked side by side, Mia turned to him. "Isaac, I've been thinking."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"I remember reading that there was an escape tunnel built in the Mayor's house for exactly this kind of situation. I was thinking we might be able to retreat after all if things start looking too bad."  
  
"But that's not it, is it, Mia?" He returned.  
  
"No, it's not. I wanted to say thank you."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Promising to help us, and me. You've inspired the people, inspired Justin and Megan, and even inspired me."  
  
"Inspired you to do what?"  
  
"To make a stand and defend our homes."  
  
"I'd say you'd owe the Mayor more for that than me."  
  
"You just wouldn't understand, Isaac." She smiled to him. "I don't know why I even tried."  
  
"I don't either." He said, jokingly.  
  
"There's something else, Isaac."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I wanted to thank you for always being there for me."  
  
"If anyone deserves that thanks, it's you, Mia; not me."  
  
"No, you've sworn to protect me; no one's ever done that before. It means a lot to me that I mean that much to you." Isaac staggered a step, his face blushed. "I'm glad that's correct, Isaac." He looked back at her, nervous grin on his face.  
  
"Hit the nail on the head, Mia. How goes the preparation?"  
  
"Well, all things considered, quite well. All the medicinal items we could muster and make are ready; it's just a matter of preparing food and getting ready for the wounded."  
  
"I'll do my best to prevent any wounded from coming to you; there won't be many injuries from this warrior's brigade."  
  
"Don't get overconfident, Isaac. The projected casualties don't look good, even with both of us factored in."  
  
"I never did tell you; we have a secret weapon of our own."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Flint, Fizz!" Isaac shouted. A flash of gold light followed by a flash of blue light appeared near them. Flint rested on Isaac's right shoulder, while Fizz sat on his left.  
  
"You rang, Isaac?" Flint asked.  
  
"Indeed. Just wanted to show Mia some of our secret weapons."  
  
"Showing off, eh, Isaac?" The Venus Djinn asked him. Before Isaac could reply, Fizz was already being wrapped in an embrace from Mia.  
  
"Fizz, I missed you, little guy." She said, hugging the Mercury Djinn tightly.  
  
"Lucky sucker." Flint mumbled. "Why can't you be as good-looking as her?" He asked Isaac.  
  
"First of all, I'm a GUY, second of all, she's a GIRL. There are differences, Flint!"  
  
"Hey, why are you getting snide with me for?! You know you're jealous, Isaac!" Flint jeered.  
  
"Flint, shut it!" Fizz snapped back.  
  
"Fine, fine. Jeez; does everyone have a grudge against me?!" Flint caved. After Mia stopped hugging Fizz, Isaac explained that the two were only the beginning, and several more awaited orders, while many more were on their way.  
  
"That's great news; but none of the other villagers know, do they?" Mia asked after Isaac had concluded. He nodded, while Flint made a reply.  
  
"No, none of them know about us; remember, we try to stay out of the sight of anyone who's not an Adept. Pardon us, but Fizz and I need to leave to check up on the arrivals of any new Djinni. Isaac, you'll be the first to know when new ones arrive." The two Djinni left in the same manner as they appeared; much like they always did.  
  
"That Flint is a pistol, isn't he, Isaac?"  
  
"You don't know the half of it."  
  
"So, was he right?"  
  
"Who, and about what?" Isaac responded, puzzled.  
  
"Flint; was he right when he said you were jealous of Fizz?"  
  
"Maybe, maybe not." Isaac replied, with a smirk. Mia smiled, and pushed him away; he slid several feet on the icy path before he crashed into a bank of shoveled snow; to add insult to injury, the snow on top of the nearby house fell onto the pile, burying Isaac in it. Isaac pulled himself out of the displaced snow, sputtered the snow out of his mouth, and marched back over to Mia, snow still on his shoulders and the top of his head. Mia began to laugh heavily at the sight of the snow-covered warrior. Isaac brushed the snow off his head and began laughing as well. They struggled to contain their laughter; Mia because Isaac still looked like the abominable snowman and Isaac because he found being buried in a rift of snow funny. The thought made Isaac smirk, so he grabbed Mia and shoved her into the snow bank, then he proceeded to bury her. Isaac burst out laughing as she reemerged much like he did. Isaac fell to the ground grasping his side and gasping for air; he hadn't seen something that funny in years.  
  
"Oh, so you think you're a smart guy." Mia said, stifling her own laughter.  
  
"Only when you're around, Mia." Isaac rasped out between fits of laughter. When he finally sat up, he was plastered in the face with a snowball, courtesy of Mia. More laughter, but Isaac was too warn out from laughing to retaliate with his own attack. Eventually he stood back up and brushed the snow from his face and body; the cold stung his skin, but he didn't care. Mia eventually stopped her laughing too.  
  
"If only you could've seen your face, Isaac." Mia trailed, wiping tears from her eyes.  
  
"When you pushed me into the floe or when you pelted me with that snowball?!"  
  
"Both."  
  
"You should've seen your face when I stuffed you into the snow pile. That was grand." Isaac replied, staring at her. Mia eventually returned the gaze after she had finally pushed the remaining snow from her robes. The two remained silent for moments, and eventually drew closer to one another. Their eyes closed as they came even closer, preparing to share love's embrace.  
  
"Sir Isaac!" A voice called from down the alley. Isaac and Mia snapped back to reality and Isaac turned his head. Edward Giles was running down the path, just turning the corner as he looked. "Sir Isaac!" Isaac took a couple of steps out so he was in the open.  
  
"Over here, Edward." He replied. Mia moved covertly out of sight, down another alleyway. The mayor of the town jogged up.  
  
"I've been looking all over for you, Isaac!"  
  
"What is it, Edward?"  
  
"Isaac, we've sighted the centaurs, and they're heading this way. The siege will begin within the hour! We need you back up at the walls to lead!" Isaac's eyes flashed in realization; the siege was coming a little earlier than planned; no matter.  
  
"I'll be up there shortly. Get the men to their positions."  
  
"Shortly? What's going on?"  
  
"I have something I need to take care of first, Edward. Don't worry, I'll be there momentarily. You just worry about getting back up there yourself."  
  
"Okay, Isaac, but make it quick because we have very little time left." The mayor turned and jogged back toward the frontward defensive line, leaving Isaac alone. Mia soon withdrew from the shadows back to Isaac's side.  
  
"They're here?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Isaac," Mia turned to him, fear in her eyes and voice. "Please be careful, Isaac; I don't want you getting killed out there."  
  
"I will be, Mia."  
  
"You'd better get going, Isaac." She replied, trying to remain calm.  
  
"Not just yet." Isaac returned, pulling Mia into a warm and loving hug. "I love you, Mia. Don't forget that. I'll be back, I promise you that!" Isaac swore, holding her tightly. After he released her, he gave one final reassuring nod, and took off down the path where the mayor ran. The path was icy, but he kept his footing and dashed around the corner.  
  
"Good luck, Isaac. . ." Mia said, sorrowfully.  
  
********************  
  
"Captain! Report!" Isaac shouted, clambering up the wooden ladder to the wooden platforms suspended on the wooden defense walls.  
  
"Sir, there they are. It looks like they're getting ready to make an announcement. The archers are awaiting your orders, sir." Isaac peered over the defense wall; there was about 100 centaurs in a line formation, obviously going for the old fashioned frontal assault. Predictable. The troops were slowly moving closer in perfect formation.  
  
"Stay down, and ready your bows, but hold your fire until I give the word." Isaac ordered. The archers complied, and each crouched to have the wall as shelter. The ultimatum was then sounded.  
  
"Citizens of Imil! This is the army of the Ice Centaurs! Surrender to our forces immediately! You have no defense!" A voice from a bullhorn-like device sounded. Isaac grabbed his own bullhorn from the wall.  
  
"Do you address us, Centaur?!"  
  
"Of course. Do you surrender?!" The enemy centaur forces came closer. "If you do, we may show leniency and compassion!"  
  
"Ready!" Isaac ordered.  
  
"What was that?! Do you accept the terms of surrender?!" The enemy force drew closer.  
  
"Knock!"  
  
"This is your last chance! Surrender now or you all die!"  
  
"OPEN FIRE!" 


	10. The Culling

The defenders of Imil rose from their hiding places, bowstrings drawn, and unleashed a hail of fire upon the charging centaur horde. The marauding centaur were thrown in disarray by the incoming barrage of arrow fire. After the initial strike, almost two dozen lay dead, usually with a half a dozen arrows in each carcass.  
  
"Ready!" Isaac ordered, picking up his own composite bow. "Knock!" He complied to his own order, while others around him did as well. "Fire!" More arrows flew from the wooden barricades, causing about ten more casualties in the enemy ranks. The enemy centaur now closed within 30 yards of the defense wall; it wouldn't be long before they reached it. "Fire at will, all archers!" The archers broke their simultaneous actions and began firing at random targets at random rates. Arrows sped through air and flesh, wounding many, but slaying no more. "Pick your targets and stick to them!" Isaac shouted, over the battle cries around him. Now the enemy had began to batter at the walls; it wouldn't be long before they gave way. Desperate, Isaac dropped his bow and raised his hand. A sudden tremor from the ground below struck, sending most of the enemies reeling away from the walls in pain, back into the rain of arrows. Many more enemies fell, but still half of the forces remained. Isaac frowned; he knew this was the easy part; if they let any of them get away, the enemy would know that they were ready for them, and if they were annihilated, the enemy would surely come looking for them. He decided it would be better to catch the enemy more off guard by wiping out his entire first wave. He turned to the Captain. "Take no prisoners, got it?!"  
  
"Yes, Sir!" The Captain of the guard replied, firing his arrow into the chest of a centaur armed with a mace. "Men, let none of them escape alive!" Various confirmations sounded amongst the ranks, following by the twangs of bowstrings being released. Isaac glanced down at the enemy; still 40 strong; this battle hadn't gone on for too long, but he knew this was as easy as it was ever going to get. The remaining 40 still continued to pound on the wooden walls, but to no avail. Isaac stood, puzzled at why the barricades had not given away.  
  
"Captain? Why have the walls held up? They're made of wood!"  
  
"Ironwood, to be more correct, Sir Isaac. Strong as steel, but taking the appearance of wood. A great fortification tool, I might add." The Captain replied.  
  
"Excellent. Though I imagine it won't hold forever?"  
  
"You got it. Keep them away from the walls, if you can, Sir Isaac." Isaac nodded, and stepped back over to the edge of the wall. He decided instead of wasting time with a weak Quake attack that he would attack with Quake Sphere to do more damage and make them get the idea faster. He raised his right arm, and a golden glow surrounded it, and it flashed into the ground below, causing a massive short-ranged earthquake that devastated the lines of the centaur. Beaten badly, the number of hostiles dropped to 15. "Let no one survive, men! That's an order!" Isaac shouted. The remaining centaur decided that their attack was folly at best and spun around to head for home. Of course, home took them through a flurry of arrows, not to mentioning the summoning range of the Ragnarok and Clay Spire Psynergies, which Isaac used to thin their lines. The centaur who ran the fastest was struck by the Ragnarok, while several of the other creatures died under the spikes of the Clay Spire. Isaac then turned his attention to the final surviving creature, and prepared to strike with a Ragnarok. As he summoned his spell, something stopped him from killing the last of the men, but he knew not what. Was it because his back was turned and he was unable to retaliate, or was it just because his conscience bothered him? It didn't matter. He raised his hand, and the giant sword of energy came hurling out of the sky. Isaac imagined the short-lived victory they would have, and the fact that surprise would remain on their side. He smiled at this fact, meaning many Imilian lives would be spared. Though, afterward, he focused his eyes. His target remained in motion, and there lie a huge crater in the ground where the sword had hit, but it was obvious now that he had missed. Out of the original 100 attackers, only one left, because of his incompetence.  
  
"Damn it!" Isaac shouted, realizing that the enemy was so far out of range, he couldn't hope to hit him even if he had a telescope and a long- range crossbow. He banged his hand against the side wall of the town and swore under his breath several more times.  
  
"What's wrong, Isaac? We wiped out almost all of them!" The Captain said.  
  
"That's good, yes, but now that the one has gotten away, he's going to report back and tell the others that we're fortified in here!"  
  
"So? They may back off if they know that."  
  
"I doubt it, Captain. If anything, they'll be back, and next time they won't be so nice. They'll have long ranged weaponry and possibly siege weapons when they return. The odds, Captain, have considerably turned against us." Isaac sighed. He turned to the archers, who were celebrating the enemy retreat. "ATTENTION!" The archers stopped and stared at Isaac, and then snapped to order. "Well done, troops, but the war is far from over. This was target practice; stuff that actually shoots back will undoubtedly come next time. We will rotate on six hour guard shifts until then; when you're not on guard, you're in bed resting. If you're on rest, sleep with your bow next to you; be ready to move out on a moment's notice, got it?!"  
  
"YES SIR!" The general cry sounded.  
  
"Companies A and B, dismissed! C and D, you're on post. You've got six hours, A and B. Make them count in rest. Move it!" Isaac ordered, pointing his finger back toward the town." Companies A and B dashed off the palisade walls and charged for their homes and the inn. Companies C and D stared at Isaac, during the meanwhile. Finally, a man from company C stood and spoke.  
  
"Sir, what will you be doing in the meantime?"  
  
"I'm staying up here with you. It's only fair that I don't get first rest if all of you don't. Captain!" Isaac turned to the man.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"You're dismissed. Stay with the other shift and warn me at the first sight of anything that vaguely resembles trouble, understood?"  
  
"Sir!" The Captain saluted; Isaac returned the gesture of respect and the Captain took his leave from the palisade wall. Isaac smiled, but then returned to lookout duty.  
  
*********************  
  
The door to the inn swung open, and the Captain of the guard walked in, shivering from the cold. Heads turned, and all of the archers snapped to attention as he entered. He gestured for them to be at ease, and they quickly returned to what they had been doing. The Captain seated himself at an empty chair, while the activity at the table he joined ground to a halt. He turned to his fellow seatmates.  
  
"You know, we're off duty; I could care less if you have something bad to say about me or Isaac."  
  
"Sorry, sir. It's just we're not used to this kind of war environment."  
  
"Yes, that's true; Imil has been a place for peace for many years, but the warrior spirit and skill still surges through our bloodlines. That's one reason why so many people have been able to pick up the composite bow and shoot it nearly flawlessly in less than 48 hours. Nonetheless, don't worry about fighting right now; it's more important that we can hold the fort for two more waves of assault." The Captain noted, removing his steel helmet. The man had brown hair that sat on his head, but still remained full and healthy. His eyes were a deep cerulean blue, and he had a face to make women swoon in love on sight. He was a tall, lean, yet muscular man; one who looked as though he was accustomed to using a sword rather than a bow. His armor was forged steel plate mail with several golden carvings upon it. There was a golden emblem of the sun on the front of the armor, with the shoulder blade covers the same tone. All of the other joints on the suit were also gold brimmed, and his helmet was solid steel, with golden linings brimming it. The back of the helmet had a pair golden wings of an eagle protruding a foot outwards and upwards, giving the warrior a look of a warrior angel. There was one semi-large view port in the front of the helmet, that would allow the enemy the view of his eyes.  
  
"Dargon, what's up with Isaac? He seems more intent on protecting this place than any other outsider would normally be." One of the men asked him.  
  
Now free from his Captain's Helmet, Dargon turned to face the man and give him an answer without a plate of metal to disturb his view. "I suspect he wants to protect this place for a number of reasons. First of all, Isaac strikes me as a person who hates to see anyone die. I think he understands all too well what death does to the people who outlive the deceased. Second, I'll bet he wants to protect the Mercury Lighthouse; I remember seeing him go in with Mia and a couple of other people almost a year ago. I think there's some kind of connection between him and the lighthouse. Lastly, . . ." Dargon counted as Mia approached.  
  
"Captain, has Isaac returned from the lines, or is he still up there?" She asked him.  
  
"He's up on the wall with companies C and D right now, Mia. And please, call me Dargon when I'm off duty."  
  
"Sorry, Dargon. When will he be off?"  
  
"In a little over five hours. He's taking the CD shift while I lead the AB shift."  
  
"Thank you, Dargon." She politely returned, as she left the table. When Dargon was sure she was out of earshot, he continued.  
  
"As I was saying, lastly, I think we just saw the third reason." Dargon said. Some mild snickers broke out from some of the younger males at the table, while a couple of others looked mildly dejected. Dargon smiled; Mia had been the object of drool for many of the young males in Imil for years now, himself included at one point. No one could ever mite out the courage to ask her to dinner or anything else, for that matter; she was always busy and was quite shy to boot. Mia had been difficult to approach, but he somehow knew that Isaac had made quite an impression on her. Dargon had gotten over his crush on Mia months before, and was actually happy that someone had finally gotten to her heart; especially a nice person like Isaac.  
  
"So, Captain. . ."  
  
"Dargon!"  
  
"Right, sorry sir; Dargon, do you really think that's the reason he's defending us?"  
  
"No. Well, it's part of it; the real deal is that Isaac hates death. I could see it in his eyes each time we slew a centaur; his eyes flashed with joy and angst every time one of the creatures fell. The joy came from the slaying of a minion of evil, while the angst came at the loss of another life. He feels compassion for everyone, including his enemies; he's a great man, no doubt about it. The main reason he's fighting for Imil, you ask? Well, each of the three reasons seems equally weighted to me. They should be the same for you, as well. Believe what you want, but I say he's here to protect everyone and the lighthouse." Dargon concluded, closing his eyes.  
  
"That makes sense, I guess. There's nothing wrong with his explanation, right boys?" One of the men asked the other people at the table. The others nodded quietly, while some mumbled their confirmation.  
  
"Waitress? Round of ales for the men here, my treat." Dargon signaled.  
  
************************  
  
Isaac yawned as he climbed down the ladder of the wall. His shift, now complete, was long, tense, and quite remarkably boring. Nothing had happened or even looked as though anything might've happened. Six long hours of patrolling the wall's perimeter, keeping his eyes fixated on the horizon. Isaac sighed, and thought maybe he should've made them four hour shifts instead of six. He was the last to descend the ladder and the feel of the cold snow crushing beneath his feet on solid ground quite relaxing. His tense shoulders dropped and loosened as he walked down the street. He needed some sleep; it had been a long day, and night had already fallen on the small town of Imil. As well, his stomach was gurgling for food; he hadn't eaten anything all day, even when he intended to get lunch before the siege. It was decided: food first, sleep second. Isaac pushed open the door of the inn and walked in slowly. He found an empty seat in the corner of the inn, where the light of the twin fireplaces scarcely reached. He sat quietly, closing his eyes and setting his mind free from the world. Eventually, soft music reached his ears over the light mumbling of the crowd. Someone had started playing the piano in the middle of the inn; and the music was nice. Isaac could feel himself drifting into a doze amidst the warm atmosphere of this small-town inn. His dozing was interrupted by a voice next to him.  
  
"Sir, what may I get for you tonight?"  
  
"Uh?" Isaac mumbled, waking up at his waitress. She was about his age, with light brown hair, nearly blonde, and green eyes. "Um, I don't know. What do you have?"  
  
"Not much; most of the food has been picked over already. Though I'll do my best to see to your order."  
  
"If you've got any roasted chicken left, that'd be nice."  
  
"I do believe we have some of that left. Any specific type of meat you want?"  
  
"No, just bring me whatever's available."  
  
"What do you want to drink?"  
  
"Water will be fine."  
  
"Got it. Just a few moments, sir." She politely returned, leaving his table. Isaac shut his eyes again, enjoying his rest.  
  
Meanwhile, the waitress walked to the other side of the inn, where the food and drink were being held after its preparation. "Mia, we need an order of roasted chicken and a flask of water."  
  
"It's certainly been busy tonight. Well, it's better than tending to wounds; thank goodness no one was hurt during this part of the attack. How many orders?"  
  
"Just one. The guy came in alone, no one with him. Nice guy, and he was kind of cute."  
  
"Did he have brown hair and blue eyes?" Mia asked, suspiciously.  
  
"Yes, he did. Cute little yellow scarf, too."  
  
"Excuse me, but do you mind if I take the order out to him?" Mia requested.  
  
"Why? Do you know him?" The other girl asked. Mia nodded.  
  
"He's a friend of mine; I've known him for quite some time now."  
  
"All right, Mia. Go ahead." She smiled, allowing Mia to move past with the tray of food. "Stay out of trouble." Mia glanced back with a smile. She moved past the crowds, between the overcrowded tables, and past the piano player. Finally, she spotted Isaac alone in a dark corner of the inn, arms folded, eyes closed. Perfect. She stealthily approached the dozing Isaac, carefully setting the tray on the table.  
  
"Sir, your food is here." She said, smiling. Isaac stretched and yawned without opening his eyes.  
  
"Thank you very much." He replied after stretching, but before he opened his eyes.  
  
"You're quite welcome, Isaac." Mia said. Isaac's eyes snapped open, gazing at Mia.  
  
"Very funny, Mia." Isaac returned, smile on his face. "It's good to see you."  
  
"Likewise." Mia replied, pulling the other empty stool from the table out. She sat down next to Isaac, and looked at him. "You look exhausted, Isaac."  
  
"I am; the battle wasn't too straining considering the monsters we've fought in the past, but the guard duty was murder. It wasn't hard, it was just boring; in fact, it was so boring that it depleted all of my energy. Aside from that, how was your day, Mia?"  
  
"Not bad, considering yours." Mia replied. "I just wish the siege tomorrow will be as easy as today."  
  
"Snowball's chance in the Mars Lighthouse. I don't think it's going to be easy at all next time. One of them got away and undoubtedly reported what happened to his superiors and they're preparing for heavy resistance tomorrow. I just wish that we could've stopped that last one." Isaac muttered, shaking his head.  
  
"Don't worry so much, Isaac. I know whatever they throw at you, you'll be able to throw back." Mia whispered back, eyes full of confidence.  
  
"Thanks Mia, but I can't do this alone; you know that."  
  
"I'm sure if you had to, you could and would." Mia replied. "Though, if I had a wish, I'd wish that today's siege would've come five minutes later." Isaac's expression faltered slightly on the comment, though it was impossible to see exactly how it did in the scant light of the room. Isaac and Mia remained silent again, not breathing a word; nothing more needed to be said. Several minutes passed before anything happened.  
  
"Sir Isaac!" Dargon shouted. Again, the two were snapped back to reality.  
  
"What is it, Captain?" Isaac asked, noticing Dargon fully decked out in his plate mail armor, sword in hand.  
  
"Sir, we can clearly see the smoke from enemy campfires. They are most certainly close, and therefore, we can accurately say that they will indeed attack in the next 12 to 18 hours."  
  
"I figured as much, but thank you for keeping me informed, Captain. Get back to your post and keep me informed if anything else shows its face."  
  
"Yes sir. You can count on me!" Dargon saluted, and left the inn promptly.  
  
"You two seem to work well together." Mia remarked.  
  
"Well, the Captain is a good man; I'm glad to say he's on our side. I just wish I knew his name."  
  
"His name is Dargon."  
  
"Ah, so he's the Dargon I've heard about, eh? I can see why he's so well known around here."  
  
"Yes, but you're already giving him a run for his money in fame, I can tell you that much." Mia looked down at the table, and then turned to Isaac. "You know, you may want to eat your food before it turns ice-cold on you." Isaac realized she was right, and smiled sheepishly. He dug in like a swarm of locusts; the meat on the bones of the chicken quickly disappeared, torn off by the ravenous Isaac. In-between bites, Isaac chugged some of his water. He had finished his meal in less than seven minutes, and reclined back in his chair.  
  
"Wow, that was great!" Isaac complimented, leaning back.  
  
"I guess you were really hungry, huh, Isaac? I've only seen Garet tear apart a meal like that. I'm glad you liked it. It took me awhile to get the seasoning right."  
  
"You cooked it?" Isaac asked, surprised. "I thought you were the healer on standby!"  
  
"I was, but considering the battle came and went, not to mention they needed the help with the kitchen staff, I decided to volunteer here."  
  
"That was nice of you, Mia! I had no idea that you could cook so well!"  
  
"What, my soup wasn't good?" Mia joked, but before he could reply, she continued. "You probably couldn't taste it with that nasty fever you had."  
  
"No, I couldn't."  
  
"Speaking of fevers, you look like if you don't get some sleep you might get one. Here, let's go." Mia said, standing up. "Come on, Isaac, you can sleep at my place like when you were sick." Isaac followed Mia's lead and left the inn a few feet behind her. The night was very cold, and deathly frigid. Snow fell freely from the sky, coating the ground with more white powder.  
  
"Jeez, does it snow all winter up here?" Isaac asked, catching up to Mia.  
  
"Most of the time. A lot of the people here don't like the snow, but I rather enjoy it. I think it's very calming to watch and listen to."  
  
"You listen to the snow?!" Isaac asked, completely puzzled.  
  
"In complete silence, you can hear the snowflakes hitting the accumulated snow on the ground. Just sitting very still while watching the snow; sometimes you can hear the light crackle of the fresh snow reaching the ground. It's very relaxing." Mia replied.  
  
"We never got a lot of snow in Vale; maybe once or twice a year. I never cared for it because I was the one who always had to shovel it."  
  
"In Imil, we've pretty much stopped shoveling our snow. We do it to prevent huge piles, but in flurries like these, we ignore it." Isaac looked into the sky; it was snowing at a pretty good rate, yet Mia was calling it flurries. Isaac figured Imil must get a lot more snow when it got deeper into the winter. "Isaac, may I ask you something?"  
  
"What is it, Mia?"  
  
"Isaac, what will you do after the siege is over?" Mia asked, tone of sadness in her voice.  
  
"I haven't thought about it, really." Isaac returned. "I'd probably think about leaving on my journey again, but. . ." He paused. "Now that I know fully know what I feel, I don't know what I'd do."  
  
"Would you stay here with me, Justin, and Megan?" Mia asked.  
  
"Mia, I. . ."  
  
"What?"  
  
"To be honest, I don't know if the town will even survive past the siege. I have some serious doubts that we won't be able to save the town. The centaur force is huge, and we have very little to draw from. Mia, I don't know much else but this:" He stopped walking; Mia followed suit a second later. "What I do know is what I've said before. I love you, and I will protect you with my life. That's all I know for sure right now, and right now nothing else matters to me. Everything else will be dealt with when it comes time to be dealt with." Isaac stated, deadly serious. Mia nodded, keeping her eyes fixated on him. "Nothing matters now but you, Mia." He restated, wrapping her into his arms.  
  
"Isaac, I feel the same way about you. There's always been something about you." Mia replied. "I don't want to lose you out there."  
  
"You won't; I promise you that." Isaac returned, heartfully. Now, under the darkened skies of Imil, nothing stopped love's embrace from sweeping the two away. 


	11. The Blades of The Arrows

Isaac grumbled as he climbed out of bed. It was early, and he didn't want to get up; no one really would at three in the morning. Nonetheless, he rolled out of his bed and grabbed his gear. His Gaia Sword strapped on his back and Earth Shield strapped to his left arm, he prepared to leave Mia's house. As he reached for the door handle, he recoiled for a moment. Not being able to resist, he walked back into the main room, where he had slept on the same bed as before. He cracked open the door to Mia's room quietly, an peered inside. Mia was sleeping soundly in her bed, looking very peaceful and serene. Isaac smiled to himself, pulling the door shut again. Next, he checked on her apprentices in a similar fashion. The two children shared a room together, and both slept heavily in their own beds. They too, looked peaceful, bringing to Isaac the realization of why he was fighting. Reenergized, Isaac left the home and headed for the palisade walls. He reached the walls after a few moments, and took his position at the north wall. The night was freezing cold; luckily Mia had given him a warm set of robes to go over his clothes to keep the wind out. They were working, thankfully. As he reached his post, Dargon stood waiting for him, fully clad in his armor.  
  
"Good to see you, Isaac. All's quiet on the northern front, if you will."  
  
"The fires. . . have they gone out yet?"  
  
"No. They remain lit for the time being. I don't imagine them putting them out; it would give them away. I don't imagine the siege to come during your shift. Isaac, I know you came to take your position, but you need to be fully rested for the siege; you may very well be our best hope at winning."  
  
"Dargon, you can't stay up here for too long; they say you're a great swordsman, but we might need you for the siege."  
  
"Isaac, please do not question my judgement! You get back to bed and rest!"  
  
"Sorry, Dargon, but I cannot obey that order. A and B companies, you are relieved. Get some rest."  
  
"Damn it, Isaac! Why are you so damned stubborn?"  
  
"Because I want this town to survive. You do too, correct? I may not be a Jupiter Adept, but it's clear to me that we need you to get your rest."  
  
"Jupiter Adept? What in the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"Jupiter Adepts can see the future, Dargon. Trust my judgement."  
  
"Like you trust mine?" Dargon questioned. Isaac gave him a stern, commanding look, and he knew it would be fruitless to argue any further. "Very well, Isaac. See you in six hours then." Dargon consented, climbed down the ladder and down to the town below. Isaac could see him remove his helmet indignantly and stomp down the street. Isaac smiled; the man was really wanting to do what was best for him, but he refused to be treated with bias. Dargon was indeed a fine warrior, and a good friend to boot, though he could never replace Garet. Of all the times for him and Garet not to be together, this had to be it. Though his somewhat oafish friend was never a good shot with a bow, Isaac could count on Garet no matter what the circumstance. He wished if anyone who wasn't here could be here, he'd wish in an instant that his best friend would be.  
  
"Sir Isaac, are you okay?" One of the archers asked him.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"How I wish my friend Garet was here." Isaac replied.  
  
"Was he one of the ones you came here with a year ago?"  
  
"Yes, in fact. The big one with red spiky hair."  
  
"What kind of journeys did you guys have?"  
  
"I'm not going to tell right now. Maybe on break, but certainly not when we should be keeping our eyes watchful and our minds mindful of the present."  
  
"Understood, sir." The archer saluted, and went back to his post. Isaac sighed. The centaur force that would arrive later today would undoubtedly 300 or more strong; most likely its full army spanned of 750 of the beasts, but he remained unsure. That was a tough comparison to the total population of Imil: 350. Of them, only about 120 were able to defend the town. The odds were at least five to one in the favor of the enemy; hardly acceptable to any defending commander, but the small town of Imil really had no choice but to defend their hometown from the marauders. Isaac cursed himself to think about what would happen should the defense give out. The centaur would be free to run rampant in the town, slaying every last man, woman, and child that resided here. He knew the men and women defending the town understood this fact, and they were all the more inclined to defend their homes. Isaac decided to stop thinking of 'what- ifs' and to start focusing on the present. He turned his eyes on the inky horizon, and awaited the arrival of the centaur army.  
  
***********************  
  
"Hey, Isaac! Your shift's up!" Dargon shouted up to him. Isaac glanced back down and nodded. Secretly, Isaac was glad his shift was up. He was sick of waiting for something to happen. It just was something he wasn't used to. Isaac climbed down the ladder and saluted to Dargon, who promptly returned it.  
  
"Thanks, Dargon. I appreciate it."  
  
"You're welcome, Isaac. Just do me a favor and go rest up." Dargon stated, putting on his armored helmet, then climbed the ladder to his post. Isaac turned and headed back to Mia's dwelling to fulfil Dargon's favor. He reached the dwelling, kicked the snow from his boots, and walked inside. He was greeted by a hug from young Megan.  
  
"Hi, Isaac!" Megan said, cheerfully.  
  
"I'm guessing your happy to see me. May I ask why?"  
  
"No reason." Megan smiled. She was obviously hiding something.  
  
"Don't mess with my head, Megan. What are you hiding?"  
  
"Nothing, except I know how Mia feels about you."  
  
"So, I know too." Megan looked puzzled. "You heard me. I already know."  
  
"That's great! I always knew you two were perfect for each other."  
  
"You already told me that, and Justin already disagreed with you. I appreciate your concern over the issue, though. How'd you weasel it out of Mia, anyway?"  
  
"I asked her about you, and she told me. It was that simple."  
  
"I see. So, where is Mia now?"  
  
"She's at the inn helping the kitchen staff again. What, do you plan on dropping in to see her?"  
  
"No, I just wanted to know. I promised Dargon that I'd get some rest, and I intend to do just that. Please excuse me; I must be getting to bed." He patted the young girl on the head, and went immediately to his bed.  
  
"I'm glad to see this whole thing is working out, Isaac. You'd make a more fun big brother than Justin."  
  
"Mia's your sister?" Isaac asked, confused.  
  
"No; she's our guardian. Our parents passed away when we were younger."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that."  
  
"It's okay. Mia is a nice a family as you could get. Well, I'm going to leave you to your rest. Sleep well, Isaac." The young girl replied, walking quietly out of the room. Isaac smiled, yawned, rolled onto his side, and went to sleep.  
  
***********************  
  
Isaac awoke with a start as Mia jostled his shoulder. "Isaac! They're sounding battle stations! The centaurs have returned!" Isaac nodded, and leapt out of bed, slipping his boots on, and grabbing his sword, shield, and bow. Just as Isaac was dashing from the room, he paused a moment to kiss Mia on the cheek. Then he was out the door in a flash, faster than a Fenrir with a hotfoot. Mia stood still, blushing for a second, and then ran for the inn to take her place for healing.  
  
Isaac made a mad dash for the ladder, followed closely by many members of the C and D companies. He made a dash for his post, catching Dargon there.  
  
"Dargon! Report!"  
  
"They're on the move; look out there!" Dargon replied, pointing to the horizon. Snow was being kicked up from the ground across most of the horizon. They were coming, all right.  
  
"All archers, be ready to open fire! This is going to get ugly, Dargon."  
  
"I know. Are you sure you'll be okay? You're not wearing any armor."  
  
"I'm wearing a set of Dragon Scales under this tunic. I'll be fine."  
  
"Dragon Scales?! I guess that makes this suit of armor a tad obsolete."  
  
"Can the jokes, Dargon! They'll be in firing range in ten seconds. Archers! Pick your targets and prepare to fire on my mark!" Dargon and Isaac picked up their bows and drew the strings back. The horde drew into range. "MARK!" Arrows flew into the ranks of the enemy, and several fell immediately.  
  
Suddenly, a crossbow bolt shot right past Dargon, merely scraping his armor. Dargon stepped back in surprise. "TAKE COVER!" The sound of warning came from his mouth. Isaac and Dargon dove next to the Ironwood wall and crouched beneath it. Several archers did the same. A bolt blew through the chest of an archer that stood next to Isaac, and the young man fell from the wall, bolt still impaled in his heart. There was no hope for the unfortunate soul, but Isaac leapt from the wall anyway. The crossbow bolt wasn't wood; it was an icicle. Isaac gasped; the ice would make the wound sting and extremely painful; not to mention the ice could easily be laced with poison of some sort, though that didn't appear to be the case.  
  
"MEDIC!" Isaac shouted at the top of his lungs. "MEDIC!" He cried, as he noticed two more fall from the wall. He rushed over to one who was impaled in the shoulder; blood spurted from around the wound. The archer was a female; quite young, red hair, deep blue eyes. She was barely conscious from the blow, and she struggled to speak.  
  
"Gggge-et Mi-i-a." She stammered, through her wound, but without fear.  
  
"Relax, I'm here for you." Isaac decided the projectile needed to be removed. He grabbed the icicle with both hands, and pulled with all his might, dislodging the frozen arrow from her shoulder. He quickly put his hand over the wound, and his hands began glowing gold. The wound slowly closed up, and the bleeding halted. "You'll be fine." The girl looked back up, still tired from the wound.  
  
"Isaac!" Mia shouted. "I'll take it from here! Get back up there and give those creatures what-for!" She rushed out and finished the healing job while Isaac blasted back up the ladder. When he got back up, there were icicle bolts impaled all over the walls; luckily, there were few casualties. Isaac grabbed his bow and let fly an arrow that knocked a crossbow straight from a centaur's grip. The creature looked down in confusion, and was quickly impaled in the chest by three other arrows fired by different archers. Isaac quickly turned to his next target, and launched another projectile from his weapon. The arrow whizzed through the air, streaking for the next target. The centaur brought up a shield and the arrow stuck itself within it.  
  
"Damn!" Isaac muttered, drawing another arrow from his quiver and placing it on the string of his bow. The centaur warriors armed with melee weapons managed to reach the walls below, while the crossbow-armed enemies hung back, covering them with consistent and accurate fire. "Dargon, we can't fight them all with those damned crossbowmen getting clear shots! I'll slow them down while you and your men take out the melee fighters!"  
  
"What are you going to do, Isaac?!"  
  
"You'll see. Just get ready to fire on my mark!"  
  
"Men, prepare to shoot low! Aim for the swordsmen and ignore the crossbowmen!" The archers complied and prepared to aim downward. Dargon nodded to Isaac, who raised his arm into the air. His arm began to shine with a golden light, which shot through the air and into the ground near the archers. The ground tremored, and split open, causing the crossbowmen to fly in several different directions, weapons flying everywhere; some bolts flying around at random.  
  
"MARK!" The archers aimed directly down at their enemies' heads. They didn't even see the arrows coming. Several fell dead on the spot, arrows jaunting out of the tops of their skulls, blood spurting everywhere. Several cheers came from the Imilian Defenders, but the battle was far from over. The crossbowmen who survived Isaac's Quake Sphere were now back on their feet, and the greater bulk of the melee attack force was heading to the wall. "Don't celebrate now, troops, they're coming back for more!" The legion headed to the wall was about 300 in bulk, while the crossbowmen were about 100 in numbers. The Imilians stood at 100 archers; 20 of them had been incapacitated by wounds or death. The odds were not looking good at all. "Aim for the crossbowmen!" Isaac shouted. "Fire at will!" Arrows flew at random from the palisade walls and struck several of their targets.  
  
A volley of ice shards came flying back to greet their attack. The archer to the left of Isaac fell from the wall and impacted the ground with a sickening thump. Isaac turned, but he quickly recoiled; it was too late for him. The bolt had lodged itself in the unfortunate warrior's throat. As he turned back to the battle, he heard a gasp from below; it had to have been Mia. Isaac was tempted to leap from the wall and assure her he'd be okay, but he had work to do. He pulled another arrow from his quiver and drew the bowstring back to his chin. Picking his target, he let slip the point of steel from his bow, sending it careening into the chest of the murderous centaur. Isaac smiled, trying to convince himself that the archer's soul had been avenged. He turned for his next victim, gladly picking one taking aim at him. He ducked to avoid the incoming missile and popped back up for his shot. He released the string, sending the arrow flying 3 feet above the centaur's head.  
  
"Damn!" Isaac muttered, ducking behind the wall again. He checked his quiver; he had only four shots left. Imil really did have an ammo shortage; there were still arrows in reserve for the third wave, but odds were they'd be tapped into before this battle was done. Drawing another shot, he launched his arrow at his previous target, striking the enemy in the shoulder, causing him to reel back and fall into the snow wounded. There was no point in wasting further ammunition finishing him off.  
  
"Isaac, the melee troopers are close to the wall!" An archer shouted to him.  
  
"I'm on it. Keep me covered."  
  
"Yes sir!" The archer shouted back in reply, shooting an arrow into an aiming centaur. Isaac stood, arm raised and glowing, but rather than unleashing Quake Sphere, he unleashed the fury of Mother Gaia. The force of the Venus Psynergy sent most of the centaurs into the grave right then, causing the others to fall back. The crossbowmen began to withdraw as well, though still turning back to fire when the opportunity presented itself. When the enemy had ran out of range, Isaac held up his hand.  
  
"Hold your fire, let them go!" Isaac shouted at the top of his lungs. All arrows from Imil ceased, and Isaac turned to Dargon. "Get me a headcount; I'm going to go assist with the wounded." Isaac turned; there was an injured archer still on the platform, with two bolts of ice protruding from his left shoulder and his right leg; blood was spouting from both wounds as he and another tried to stem the flow. He turned to the ground. "Mia! A soldier up here needs help; I don't know if I can help him!"  
  
"I'm on my way, Isaac. Hang on!" She shouted, running to the ladder. When she ascended the platform, Isaac noticed her white boots and gloves were now a deep crimson in hue, along with much of the lower parts of her robes. Isaac grimaced at the sight; the casualties were probably worse than he thought. Mia walked over to the unfortunate man and she pulled the two bolts from the wounds. Quickly, she placed one hand over each wound and began to glow a blue aura. The warrior's face soon had color returning to it, and it looked like he'd be okay. "Take him to the inn; I doubt he'll see action tomorrow, he's lost too much blood."  
  
Isaac grimaced again; this had apparently been the scene for Mia the whole day. He turned back and gazed out to the crimson fields below; blood from centaur stained the snow an eerie color of red. Countless bodies lie unburied in the field, and the anguished cries of the wounded on both sides tore through Isaac's soul. He looked where the line of crossbowmen had been, only to see the one he had wounded stand up again; loaded crossbow in hand. The centaur took aim; not at Isaac, but at the figure to his right: Mia.  
  
"Mia, Look ou---" Isaac exclaimed, jumping directly in front of her. Isaac could feel nothing except the piercing cold in his left shoulder; soon the world grew dark, and he fell from his feet right into Mia, and they both fell from the threshold. They landed in the snow next to each other, and Mia turned to the unmoving Isaac; she quickly saw the bolt impaled in his shoulder and that his eyes had become blurry and nearly lifeless.  
  
"Isaac!" She cried, confused, not knowing what to do. Tears fell freely from her eyes, fearing she had lost the most important person in her heart. Acting quickly and desperately, she tried to dislodge the projectile from his body. She managed to yank it out with all of her might, and she began glowing an intense blue. She sat next to Isaac, hands pushed on his shoulder hard, tears still streaming from here aqua eyes. "Isaac, wake up, please!" She shouted, intensifying her Ply aura to an unheard of level. "Isaac, please. . ." She moaned. Her energy faded as more tears welled up in her eyes; Mia closed her eyes and laid her head on Isaac's still chest. Wait; she heard the beating of his heart. . . he was still alive!  
  
Rgh. . ." Isaac mumbled, slowly lifting his head. His sapphire eyes opened, and he locked eyes on Mia, who was still resting on his chest. "Mia? Are you okay?" He asked, sounding perfectly fine. Mia looked up at him with tear-filled eyes in disbelief and love. Mia sniffled, smile beaming on her continence as she gazed back at Isaac, tears of joy falling from her eyes. Grabbing Isaac around the neck, she pulled him up into a tight hug, implanting her face into his previously wounded left shoulder.  
  
"You're okay! I thought I'd lost you. . ." Mia sobbed quietly in his ear.  
  
"I gave you my word, didn't I?" Isaac whispered back. "I still intend to keep it; even beyond the length of the siege."  
  
"Does that mean that?. . ."  
  
"Yes, I'll stay here after the siege." Isaac whispered in return. Mia eased on her embrace and pressed her lips to Isaac's.  
  
"Thank you, Isaac, for everything." 


	12. Defying Destiny

"They're coming in!" Dargon shouted. "The final wave has arrived! Get Isaac and C and D companies up here now! Bring up all reserved ammunition! This is it!" Dargon grabbed his longbow from the floor of the palisade wall. He grabbed his quiver and slung it over his shoulder; it was light, for it only had two arrows left in it. "Where's that ammunition?!"  
  
"It's on the way, Captain!"  
  
"Where's Isaac?!"  
  
"I'm here, Dargon." A voice replied, finishing the climb to the top of the ladder.  
  
"Good to see you, comrade. I assume your stay in Imil has been 'enjoyable'?" Dargon replied, slyly.  
  
"If I you're implying what I think, it wasn't like that, thank you very much. I'm not a man of loose morals, Captain." Isaac replied seriously, as well as putting heavy emphasis on Dargon's title to drive home the point. The Venus Adept picked up his composite bow and made ready at the wall. "What's the situation, Dargon?"  
  
"It's not looking good. Our forces are down to 80 archers, while their army remains 500 strong, not to mention the sight of their new weapons: Catapults. It's not looking good at all, Isaac. Except for your Psynergy, we have nothing that exceeds the range of their catapults. Worse yet, there's that behemoth centaur out there; he dwarfs all of them."  
  
"What?! Let me have a look." Isaac responded, moving his hand for the spyglass. Expanding the telescope to it's full length, he glared at the awaiting centaur army, and the towering ice centaur in the back of the army. No doubt about it; it was Sirius, the leader of the centaur. He wouldn't be easy to take down. "That's their leader, Dargon. We're in for it now."  
  
"Sir Dargon! The ammunition has been burned!"  
  
"What?! How?!"  
  
"Someone was careless and left the arrows near the hearth in the blacksmith shop! Somehow they must've caught fire!"  
  
"Great! Now we're really in for it. What are our options now?!" Dargon exclaimed, believing the situation hopeless.  
  
"There's only one course of action we can take now, Dargon. Excuse me." Isaac leapt from the wall and charged for the inn. He was lucky enough to catch Mia just before she went inside.  
  
"Isaac, what are you doing here?" Mia asked. "Isn't the final wave of the siege starting soon?"  
  
"Yes, but we have a problem. Our surplus ammunition was burned into a cinder last night. The times are desperate; most of the troops in the front line have less than ten shots. Mia, we have only one option now. I want you to round up all the civilians and lead them to safety through the mayor's escape tunnel."  
  
"What? What are you going to be doing?"  
  
"Buying you time, Mia. Lead your people to safety and don't worry about me. I'll slow them down long enough for you and the others to escape."  
  
"But what about you?" Mia asked, fear lacing her voice.  
  
"I'm going to listen to the voice inside that tells me to stand and fight!"  
  
"Isaac, please! I won't leave you behind!" Mia cried.  
  
"Mia, please; don't make this harder than it already is."  
  
"Isaac, I love you and I can't just turn my back on you; doing so would be signing your death sentence!"  
  
"Perhaps death is my destiny, Mia. Perhaps not. I do know that if I don't stay, your people will probably still die. Mia, the life of one person is insignificant when set aside for the common good."  
  
"You speak as though you already lie in the grave. Isaac, I need you!" Mia gazed into the stalwart eyes of her affection, but she couldn't relent to him. "Please, Isaac. If you won't come then I will stay!"  
  
"No, you won't, Mia. You need to lead the people; they trust you and will follow you to their graves if they must. Do this for them."  
  
"Isaac. . ."  
  
"If you truly love me, you understand what I'm doing. I don't want to be separated from you, but I foresee no other options if you want your people to live." Isaac's eyes turned to show sorrow. "Mia, please. . . don't make me beg you."  
  
Mia's eyes softened; she knew Isaac was not one to bring himself to beg, but she knew he was correct. "Isaac," She said, stepping face-to-face with him. "I'll do it on one condition."  
  
"Name it."  
  
"That you come back alive and unhurt."  
  
"I don't know if I can promise unhurt, but I'll be alive. I promise you, Mia." He replied in a whisper, using his index finger to wipe a tear from Mia's cheek. "It'll be fine. Go now. The attack will happen soon and I have to get back." He turned to head down the road for the defense walls.  
  
"Isaac, wait." Mia called to him. He turned, and Mia returned to being inches from his face. "Remember, Isaac; you always have hope." She said, pushing her index finger into the gem of the amulet Isaac wore beneath his Dragon Scale armor. "Get moving, my love." She said, kissing him on the cheek. Isaac nodded, and spun on his heels for the wall. He reached the defense wall and was up the ladder in record time.  
  
"Dargon, what did I miss?"  
  
"Nothing, thankfully. What were you doing?"  
  
"I gave Mia the word to sound civilian evacuation. If we can't win this, at least some of Imil will survive." Isaac replied, solely to Dargon. "Now, I have to tell this to our warriors." Isaac turned to face the archers of Imil. "ATTENTION!" The archers snapped ready to listen. "Defenders of Imil, we face our darkest hour. There is little hope for us saving the town of Imil with the loss of our stored ammunition. I have ordered a civilian evacuation of the town; our mission is to no longer defend the town at all costs; it's to defend the civilians at all costs. I don't want any unnecessary deaths here. I understand that you all have families, so I'm going to make my point. Once you have fired your last arrow, you become a civilian. That means you get off this damned wall and escape with your families. If any of you wish to back down and flee, now is the time to do so; there is no dishonor in doing so. You all have fought bravely and well these past two days, and you shall be merited by having the chance to stay with your wives, husbands, and children. I can say only one thing. Thank you for helping to defend this town; you did what any good citizen would do. All those who wish to leave, DISMISSED!" Isaac shouted. Not a soul moved; each stood, more determined than ever to protect their loved ones. "Thank you." Isaac whispered, barely loud enough for everyone to hear. In the background, they could hear the people moving into the mayor's escape tunnel. Finally, a war horn was sounded in the distance, and all of the enemy forces moved in for the attack.  
  
"Battle stations!" Dargon shouted. "We're screwed, aren't we, Isaac?" He whispered.  
  
"No. I have an ace or two up my sleeve." He replied to Dargon. "Men, hold your fire!" Isaac ordered, raising his left hand into the sky. The enemy crossbowmen were now in range, and they promptly opened fire. "I summon Corona!" Isaac yelled, and a red blast of light flashed over the battlefield. The ice shards shattered on impact with each archer, leaving them all unharmed. The Mars Djinn had boosted their defense to an extreme level. "Hold!" Isaac shouted to the archers who drew their strings back. "I summon Forge!" Another flash of red light, and Isaac had shot his hand forward. "OPEN FIRE!"  
  
Arrow after arrow streaked through the air, literally plowing straight through the torsos of the centaurs that were hit; if two were walking in single file, both were instantly slain. One archer on the wall set his bow down, and jumped from the platform, empty quiver still on his back.  
  
"Fire at will, men!" Isaac ordered, drawing his own bowstring back.  
  
"What the hell were those flashes of light, Isaac?!" Dargon asked.  
  
"I'll tell you later." Isaac replied, letting an arrow fly from his bow, killing four centaur with one arrow. "Incoming! Take cover!" He shouted. A giant flaming boulder impacted just short of the defense wall, kicking up lots of snow and taking clumps of sod straight from the ground. "Another one! Keep low!" This time, the boulder didn't miss. The wall to the 30 yards right of Dargon had been splintered wide open by the projectile. Even Ironwood couldn't stand up against boulders. "Men, keep firing!"  
  
"Isaac, the catapults will fire again shortly!"  
  
"Leave it to me." He raised his arm into the sky again. "I summon Ground! Freeze those catapults and buy us time!" A golden flash appeared in the distance, and all activity around the catapults ceased. Sirius, now aware that he was dealing with a lot more than just archers, charged forth into battle as well. "Great, the big man's on his way. Most of the archers had now left the walls, their ammunition exhausted. Only twenty remained on the wall, and Dargon was out of ammunition himself.  
  
"Dargon, get out of here now. You're out of ammo."  
  
"No way. I'm here to see this through."  
  
"Dargon, your work is finished. Get out of here now, civilian." Isaac pushed. Dargon glared at him through his helmet, but he knew better than to argue. He turned for the ladder. "Dargon. . . If I don't make it out of here. . . take care of Mia for me." Dargon's expression was impossible to read, but Isaac could make out the faint nodding of his helmet. That aside, he turned back to battle. With the gaping hole in the wall, he had to slow down the enemy to further thin out their numbers. He raised his hand again. "I summon Vine! Slow their advance!" The golden light of the Venus Djinn flashed through the numbers of the main centaur force, trapping them in vines from the ground. The centaur looked confused as to how they became entangled, but several didn't live to wonder; the remaining archers' arrows penetrated their hides and made short work of them. Isaac turned to the remaining defenders.  
  
"Go now. I'll buy you some time. That's an order." Isaac said, pointing at the mayor's house. The remaining archers nodded, and each leapt from the threshold and made for a bee-line to the mayor's house. "Now, to cause some real chaos. I summon the Mars spirit of Kirin!" Isaac shouted, raising both arms to the sky. A portal of fire opened in the distance, and a giant deity riding a flaming stallion charged across the battlefield, ravaging the ensnared centaur; the spirit then vanished in a fountain of flame. Most of them fell on the spot, but roughly 200 warriors remained alive, along with Sirius. They closed for the wall, and Isaac's offensive Djinn were out of commission.  
  
"This is where I go down defending this city and its people until the bitter end." He muttered to himself under his breath. "I'm sorry, Mia." Raising his arm, he unleashed Quake Sphere on the incoming lines. That knocked them off balance, but Sirius had now caught up with the main force and was mere moments from the wall.  
  
"Isaac!" A female voice from below sounded. Startled, Isaac looked down into the cooling eyes of Mia.  
  
"Mia! Damn it, I told you to go with them!" Mia climbed up the ladder and stood beside him.  
  
"No, I can't do that. I couldn't live without you; so, if you must die, I'll be with you."  
  
"Don't do this, Mia."  
  
"It's my decision to make, dearest." She said, firmly. "We will stand together or we will fall together."  
  
"Mia. . ." Isaac couldn't resist his feelings now. He grabbed Mia and they kissed as the loud cries of battle approached their wall. It didn't matter to Isaac; he was with the one he loved; Mia felt the same way. The moment seemed to drag for years, until a voice rattled Isaac's consciousness.  
  
"Take this, you bastards!" A human voice sounded in the distance. A loud explosion was heard, and a flare fell over the two lovers heads straight into the centaur horde. The flare exploded violently, sending bodies flying everywhere. Isaac turned, to see where it had come from, but he couldn't tell. He turned to the incoming centaurs, who were confused by the new attack. Suddenly, bolts of purple lightning blasted through their ranks. Isaac recognized the attack, but it couldn't have been. . . Next, several orbs of flame flew from the west side of the wall, smack into the ranks, exploding into storms of flame. Isaac knew he recognized this one. It had to be. . .  
  
"Yaaa!" A deep voice sounded, and the clashing of steel was heard.  
  
"Teriaa!" Another voice called out, followed by the further clatter of swords. Isaac peered over the wall; two figures were sword fighting with the main bulk of the remaining army.  
  
"I'll be damned! It's Garet and Felix! And I'll bet money Ivan and Jenna are with them!" Isaac shouted in glee. "Talk about a lifesaver!"  
  
"Isn't that what you always said about me?" Mia asked, smiling. Isaac smiled back, drew his Gaia Sword, and leapt from the walls to join his friends in battle.  
  
*************************  
  
"Megan, I don't think it's a good idea to sneak back into town like this!" Justin murmured to his sister as they re-entered the Mayor's home.  
  
"Oh, be quiet, Justin. I want to see if Isaac can save us all. Wow, just listen to that battle!" Megan exclaimed.  
  
"That's why Isaac wanted us to leave now! Let's go!"  
  
"No, I want to stay."  
  
"But you won't."  
  
"I will." Megan and Justin began arguing, while listening to the sounds of battle outside the mayor's house.  
  
************************  
  
Garet crossed swords with a centaur beast while pivoting backwards on his heels to avoid the sickle of another. The battle had been raging for minutes, but the numbers were slowly becoming more reasonable, thanks to Ivan's Shine Plasma and Jenna's Fireball attacks. With the bolstering of Isaac into the ranks, the odds looked surmountable now. Garet let slip a Sonic Smash from his Swift Sword and sent his opponent flying backward, already dead.  
  
Isaac caught sight of a centaur slipping past him; he was fast, and very big. Breaking away from the main battle, Isaac tailed the centaur, who utilized the hole in the outer defense wall to his biggest possible gain. He gained access to the town. Isaac dashed in, unsure of where his quarry had made off to. A scream pierced into Isaac's eardrums. Mia! He followed where his ears led him, and sure enough, he encountered Mia cornered in the town square with Sirius, leader of the centaur, staring her down.  
  
"Well, you pathetic excuse for a human, it's time you met the reaper." Sirius hissed at Mia, who only had her Scared Staff for protection. Mia's eyes caught glimpse of Isaac.  
  
"Isaac!"  
  
"What?!" Sirius shouted, spinning to face the newly found warrior.  
  
"I summon Bane!" He shouted, leaping in mid-air, sword drawn and prepared to strike. His silver blade glowed gold, and he connected with a deadly blow on Sirius. He was little more than winded by it.  
  
"Pathetic. Is that all you've got?!" The demonic creature demanded, using his highly muscular arm to swat Isaac away like a fly. The warrior flew several feet back before landing, then sliding even further back on the ice. "Now, where were we, Adept?" He said, turning back to face his prey.  
  
"I summon Zephyr!" Isaac shouted, leaping back onto the centaur, delivering another crushing, yet futile blow. Isaac was able to dodge the centaur's next swat thanks to Zephyr's agility boosting powers. He dodged attack after attack from the centaur before the creature finally replied. "You are truly pathetic." The centaur then promptly swatted Isaac away again, giving a similar result to his first blow. Isaac's face was bruised from the swats, and his lower lip had begun to bleed. Isaac spat out the blood that had found its way into his mouth, and raised his sword for another attack. The centaur charged and speared Isaac back to the ground. The centaur hadn't even drawn its huge saber yet; it was fighting Isaac barefisted. Isaac leapt back up again, and turned to face his opponent.  
  
"You'll never win, Sirius."  
  
"You're wrong. Do you honestly think the power of love will save you?" Isaac looked astonished at the creature's obvious ability to analyze a situation. "I saw the way she looked at you when you came! Well, it doesn't matter. She'll join you shortly in the afterlife. Prepare yourself!" The centaur shouted, punching Isaac back to the ground. The attacks were too quick for Isaac to dodge or block; the creature was unnaturally fast. "Too bad you don't have any of that Water of Hermes to heal those wounds of yours. Well, I'm glad I cursed that lighthouse with this." He held out a small stone circle, with an engravement of Hermes on it. "No more water for the pitiful Imilians."  
  
"So that's what did it!" Isaac shouted, leaping to his feet. His hand glowed gold as he touched his face. The bruises and welts disappeared, and he was like new again.  
  
"Ah, the Cure of the Venus Element. Again, you are pathetic." The creature smiled, bashing Isaac laterally and into a building. "Considering I'm obviously not going to get through to you by merely beating the hell out of you, I think it's time I took some alternate measures." The creature said, walking over to the house of the mayor. He drew his huge saber and cleaved an enormous opening in the front, sending splinters of wood everywhere. He reached inside and pulled out two small figures, and threw them to the ground. He drew his sword again, and stabbed his sword vertically down into a little girl's body. Finally, he took his right front hoof and stomped down on a young boy's spine. Isaac opened is eyes, recovering from being hit in the head too much. He gazed over at the guffawing centaur, and he detected the smell of fresh blood. The heavy and sweet smell sickened his nostrils, and he stood to see what had happened. Mia was still alive; she was still trapped in the one corner of the square, but she looked absolutely in shock. Isaac shook off his stupor and noticed the two freshly made cadavers on the ground. He gasped at the sight, tears welling in his eyes.  
  
"You. . . You. . ." Isaac stammered enraged.  
  
"That's it! That's the pain I wanted to see! It makes me so joyous!" The centaur continued to laugh.  
  
"You murdered them. . . you MONSTER!!!" Isaac shouted, leaping into the air at his adversary. The blade of his sword began to glow gold, and he let the power of Flint do the talking for him. The creature staggered back, taken off guard by the sudden burst of power, but he quickly regained control and smacked Isaac away again. Isaac stood up, further enraged. "I'll never let you live! They were just children!" The creature mercilessly beat Isaac back into a corner of the square. His face resembled what it did earlier, full of bruises. He stood back up, refusing to stay down for the count. "Megan, Justin. . . I promise you. . . revenge!" Isaac shouted, swiping his Gaia Sword at Sirius. The sword connected, leaving a gash in the side of Sirius' evil-filled face.  
  
"No one does that to Sirius!" The creature bellowed, punching Isaac back into the corner. The centaur drew his sword, and put it near Isaac's throat. "Any last words, you little bastard?"  
  
"Just six: 'I summon the Judgement of Venus!!!'" Isaac shouted at the top of his lungs. A bright white light shone in the sky, attracting Sirius' attention. As he gazed up, he realized he was not looking at the sun, but rather a huge demigod, one clad completely in the purest silver plate mail, angel wings outstretched to their maximum span. The right arm held a massive sword, while the left arm was the head of a lion; the light was protruding from the feline arm. The angel then aimed the lion head straight down at Sirius menacingly, and a burst of light followed.  
  
"Shi--!" Was the creature's final word before Sirius was disintegrated by the wrath of the Judgement of Venus. Isaac stood up, casted Cure on himself, and staggered over to Mia, who was hunched over the remnants of her two disciples, crying her eyes dry. Isaac stooped over and hugged her close, and he too let his feelings go. 


	13. Broken Glass

"Ivan! We need support over here!" Garet shouted, still fighting off centaur in front of the town. Ivan quickly responded, and the gusts of Whirlwind tore through Garet's aggressor, but he still was on his feet. He glanced over to his other comrades; Triad was on his way, sword drawn, Felix had his hands full, and Jenna was panting heavily from the overuse of her Psynergy. It wasn't looking good when Isaac took off for the town alone; Garet's pursuit was cut off by the remainder of the army. So he was forced to fight on with the army rather than support his friend. Garet had heard sounds of battle in the town, and he swore he saw the Angel of Judgement flying high over the village not moments before. He had to get inside the village, but how?! His attention, distracted from the enemy he dueled with was about to cost him dearly. Garet saw the blade of the enemy centaur about to bear down on his head, and he braced for its impact. He could hear the clashing of metal inches from his face, but no sword struck. He opened his eyes to see why he hadn't been killed; he saw the blade of a knight, clad in silver and golden armor with a full helm; the helm had wings on the back of the head. The knight parried the centaur's blade away, then ran it through.  
  
"Best not to let your guard down, warrior. Isaac will be fine." The knight told Garet. "Focus on this battle, warrior." The knight swung his sword behind him laterally, slaying a creature that approached from behind. The warrior in armor and Garet ran to assist Felix, whom still had his hands full fighting six of the beasts at once. Garet leapt into the melee, slaying a beast with a Sonic Smash. The knight leapt in and with a bout of fancy swordplay, knocked the weapons away from two centaurs in less than a second and slaying them both in the next. Felix, with three of the creatures off his back, dodged under an incoming sword swipe, cut off the offender's arm, and then jabbed his blade into the chest of another, slashing out and cutting off the final centaur's left front leg. Felix took his blade and finished off the disarmed centaur, while the knight finished the legged one. Each of the fighters scanned the battlefield for new threats; all of the centaur were now dead, laying completely unburied and decomposing in the crimson snow. The smell of death and decay was slowly starting to rise in the fields around Imil, and Garet wished to throw up right then.  
  
"Let's go find Isaac." Felix stated, coldly. "What's your name, knight?"  
  
"Dargon."  
  
"Thanks for your help, Dargon. Let's go find Isaac now." Felix replied, making for the town walls. "Ivan, Jenna, Triad, move it!" Ivan and Jenna nodded, following close on the heels of the melee fighters. Triad didn't nod, but he moved to catch up; he was farthest behind most of the way.  
  
"Where should we start looking?!" Triad shouted up to them.  
  
"The town square; I saw something flying above it, and if I'm right, Isaac will be there." Dargon returned. The group quickly tailed Felix, who was furthest ahead. The elder brother of Jenna kept a low profile while he ran, boosting his speed, greater than even Ivan could keep up with. He shot around the corners of the inner part of the town, dusting Garet and the others behind him. Finally, Felix passed around a bend and into the town square. Something major had gone on here; most of the buildings had damage and there were traces of blood here and there. He looked to the north end of the square, where he saw two figures wrapped up together, obviously mourning the loss of something.  
  
Felix studied the picture for a moment, then realized what was going on. The two mourners were Isaac, no doubt about that, and the second was a familiar looking girl; Felix knew he'd seen her before. He stopped to think for a few seconds. Her name was Mia; and if his memory served him correctly, she was the healer from the village. Felix eyed the ground near them, and could see the remains of what appeared to be children. Felix's expression hardened, even more so than usual, and he turned back down the route he'd taken, where he encountered the rest of the party moments later.  
  
"Did you find him, Felix?" Garet asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, where is he?!" Jenna demanded.  
  
"He's in the town square, just as Dargon had said."  
  
"Well, let's go see him!" Garet exclaimed, moving down the path until he was blockaded by Felix's right arm.  
  
"You won't go see him."  
  
"Why?!"  
  
"Trust me on this, Garet. Isaac needs to be alone right now; he's in mourning. He's lost something important to him."  
  
"God, I hope it wasn't Mia. . ." Dargon muttered under his breath, audible to none, save for Felix.  
  
"It wasn't. There was something else that he lost, so just give him time. He'll come to us when he's ready to speak." Felix replied, folding his arms behind him and pushing past the group. "Let's go to the inn and get some rest; we've all had a tough day."  
  
"Triad, where's your invention?" Ivan asked  
  
"The mortar? I stuffed it back into the bag. I told you that thing would come in handy! Lobbing explosive projectiles with out the use of a catapult; it was brilliant!"  
  
"I'll admit, you did some pretty hefty damage to the centaur lines when you blasted them with it, but it wasn't perfect." Garet replied.  
  
"Hey, I'd like to see you do better without your powers, Garet!" Triad snapped back. "I just have one power: my brain, and I used it! Well, at least it wasn't a big fiasco like that musical instrument I tried inventing."  
  
"Thank goodness; I still have nightmares thinking about it. . ." Jenna returned, remembering the incident. Triad had been trying to invent a new woodwind instrument, and he thought he had perfected it while they were on their way to Imil. One night, gathered around the campfire, Triad whipped out the instrument and stated he was going to play it. He had said if his calculations had been correct, he should have a beautiful sounding instrument that could span the entire scale of notes on each octave. They had been excited at the prospect of having some entertainment, so Triad sought to please. Too bad for them the instrument was completely flawed. As Triad began 'playing' it, all he managed to get out of it were incredibly loud and piercing squeaks and howls that were frightening even to a banshee. He was pretty embarrassed at his failure and spent hours trying to fix his invention, in vain.  
  
"Say, by any chance did you happen to see a middle-aged man on your way in? Medium height, black hair, green eyes? Goes by the name Edward?" Dargon asked them.  
  
"No, why do you ask?" Felix returned.  
  
"Just curious." Dargon replied. He was concerned and suspicious of Mayor Giles; he was indeed the longbow champ of Imil, but he was nowhere to be seen during the three waves of the siege; or for that matter, anywhere in sight between the sieges. Dargon was curious of where the mayor had been and after Isaac ordered him to leave Imil, he went searching for a few moments before he decided to return back. He was positive that Imil's 'fearless leader' had abdicated his duties to his people. The group of six reached the inn and each left the price of a room in gold pieces on the counter. Each left for their own rooms, though sleeping two to a room. Felix and Jenna bunked in one, Garet and Dargon in another, and Triad and Ivan in the final.  
  
"So, Garet; what brings you to Imil?" Dargon asked.  
  
"Isaac, what else?"  
  
"Well, why is Isaac here?"  
  
"I haven't the vaguest idea why, Dargon. Maybe he believed his destiny delivered him here. Why are you here in Imil?"  
  
"I live here, Garet."  
  
"People can actually stand this cold weather? I knew Mia could, but even she wasn't too fond of the snow if memory serves me correctly. . ."  
  
"Few are fond of the snow up here, but we all can take it." Dargon couldn't help but notice Garet's distracted mentality. He also noted Garet's memory wasn't too great. . . he always heard Mia praising the snow. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Huh?" Garet turned. "Oh, sorry. I'm just worried about Isaac; Felix said he saw him in mourning. I wonder why. . ."  
  
"Now I'm the one who doesn't have the vaguest idea." Dargon lied. Felix had implied Mia was just fine, and there was no one else in Imil Isaac was particularly close to besides Mia and her disciples. Dargon was willing to bet his armor that something had happened to Justin and Megan. As much as he wanted to be there for his new-found friend Isaac and the town's healer, Felix was right. Mia was closer to Isaac than him, so he'd undoubtedly just get in the way or be an unnecessary burden. He frowned, removing his helmet; Imil had been spared from excessive damage, but the casualties and clean-up effort were enormous. On his last guess, he ventured to say 60 archers had perished, and nearly all would've if Mia and Isaac hadn't used their healing powers. Civilian casualties weren't too bad, given the fact most had evacuated. There were less than ten civilian losses; there were a couple of elderly people who passed of shock and sorrow, one man who was unlucky enough to be out in the open when a stray ice bolt struck, one man who was crushed by a man who fell from the wall, and finally and probably saddest of all, Megan and Justin. Though the deaths of the two young Mercury Adepts had yet to be confirmed, Dargon's gut told him they were dead, and his gut had never failed him yet.  
  
"I'll just keep my eyes peeled for him out this window." Garet said.  
  
"Um, Garet, the town square is the other way." Dargon replied. Garet glanced out the window, back at Dargon, and back out the window again.  
  
"Yeah, I knew that." Garet returned, sheepishly.  
  
***********************  
  
"So, you foresaw this the whole time, Ivan?" Triad turned.  
  
"Yes. I saw every detail of the actual attack in my dreams; that's how I knew which way to come. I just wish we had gotten here a day earlier. We might've saved more lives."  
  
"Don't blame yourself, Ivan. We did the best we could; and if anyone should take responsibility for slowing us down, it's me. I just wish I was as well traveled as the rest of you."  
  
"You did well, Triad. Don't dispute your ability; perhaps we were destined to arrive when we did. Destiny is a fickle and cruel thing; Isaac has undoubtedly figured that out now."  
  
"Well, at least Imil is relatively in one piece, and Isaac is okay."  
  
"I wouldn't put money on that, Triad; his past and present torment him. I doubt he's seen the last of his troubles right now. I wouldn't wish his possible fate on any man."  
  
"What are you talking about?! Possible fate?!"  
  
"Nothing. Forget I mentioned it." Ivan said, calmly. "Triad, what brings you out on adventure?"  
  
"Well, I'm seeking knowledge and enlightenment. I wish to learn everything I can about the world and the people in it. Then I want to use that knowledge to benefit mankind; to use my inventions for the common good."  
  
"Quite noble, Triad; I'd never pictured you as one who wished enlightenment. You just seem so. . ."  
  
"Spontaneous? Energetic?"  
  
"Forgive me for being blunt, but I can think of no better way to state this: idiotic."  
  
"Don't be sorry, Ivan; I get that a lot. Especially from Jenna; good lord, she likes to point out mistakes, doesn't she?"  
  
"It's her nature, Triad; it's her way of trusting you. She does the same things to Garet, Isaac, and even myself and Felix. I believe she seeks only to better people; make them learn from their errors and become better people because of it."  
  
"If that's the case, she's certainly working Garet into the ground, isn't she?" Triad joked. Ivan smiled as he replied.  
  
"Yes, she certainly is. It's a labor of love, I'd say."  
  
"You think so too, huh?"  
  
"Indeed I do." Ivan chuckled.  
  
***********************  
  
Mia's head laid on Isaac's shoulder, where she soaked his clothes with tears. Isaac said nothing while cradling her body against his. Isaac was shocked by this atrocity, though not nearly as much as the Mercury Adept he was attempting to console. It had been several minutes after Judgement had departed, but he was ready to wait all night if he had to.  
  
"Isaac, why did it have to be them?" Mia sobbed out.  
  
"I don't know; but it's my fault they're gone! If I had finished him off a few seconds earlier. . ."  
  
"Isaac, you did everything you could, and you know it." Mia managed to say.  
  
"Mia, I just. . . know I could've done something."  
  
"It's not your fault." She said, beginning to pull herself together. "You've killed the person responsible, and that's final." Mia stated, looking up with tear-worn eyes. Isaac said nothing, his way of trying to understand. Mia began to stand, but Isaac was up on his feet in a flash, helping her the rest of the way.  
  
"What do we do now?" Isaac asked.  
  
"Let's take them to the graveyard; they'll be buried soon with the other people who died during the fighting." Mia said, picking up the body of Megan, tears still lightly flowing from her eyes. Isaac nodded solemnly and picked up what remained of Justin. The two walked slowly and wordlessly together to the graveyard on the outskirts of town. The graveyard was relatively small, but the patch would be twice as large after the dead were buried. The rows of dead from the second wave were lying face up near a mausoleum. The yard was eerily quiet, even for a graveyard. Patches of fog dotted between the graves, of which were about seventy in count. A large mausoleum stood in the center of the graveyard, where Isaac and Mia were heading. They passed by rows of the dead, and Isaac peered down at each one. Among them, he saw the man Mia had been trying to save the day before; the loss of blood must've been the end of him. Next, the female archer Isaac tried to save on the same day lie face up next to the other man. After laying Megan and Justin at the end of the row of bodies, Isaac turned to Mia.  
  
"What happened to these two? I thought we saved them." Isaac said, pointing out the two they had helped.  
  
"The man died of loss of blood; something I did my best to prevent, but I couldn't stop it. The girl was his fiancée, who died of a broken heart."  
  
"No. . ."  
  
"I'm afraid so, Isaac. So are the ways of war, I'm afraid. That's why we Imilians are peaceful people; the sight of death is heartbreaking enough, but when the person is a loved one it becomes unbearable." Mia's eyes started welling up again, obviously about Megan and Justin. Isaac laid a hand on Mia's shoulder, and looked her in the eye.  
  
"Even though what you said was true, do you think THEY would want you to be like this? Megan would want you to smile and remember the good times with her and not the fact that she's gone. Justin would be contented for you to just move forward with your life. I know what it's like to lose someone that close, Mia. Though, if it still hurts, you can always talk to me, or, if you don't want to talk to me, speak with Jenna. She certainly knows what the pain is like." Isaac reassuringly explained. "Come on. Let's go find the others." Mia nodded in response, her continence relaxing.  
  
"Of course, Isaac, you're right." Mia managed to summon a smile. The two slowly left the graveyard, and back down the cobblestone streets. Not a word was spoken between the two, and the only sound that could be heard for miles around was the soft crunching of the falling snow. They made the turn for the inn, and outside, Isaac saw Triad, in fencing pose, back turned to him. Triad had an odd-looking sword in his hand. It was a long sword, but it wasn't made of metal; it was translucent blue along the edges, and the core of the sword was a translucent red. Isaac figured the sword was made of crystal rather than metal. Triad swung his blade in several different fashions, but Isaac caught a mistake in every swing; granted, Isaac thought, that he himself was an excellent swordsman, and Triad looked like he was only doing it as a hobby. Triad suddenly sheathed his sword and turned around.  
  
"Isaac, long time no see."  
  
"Triad, what are you doing here? I thought you were staying in Vault for awhile!"  
  
"Well, I heard Garet and the others were out looking for you, so I thought I'd tag along and help out."  
  
"Well, where were you during the battle with the centaur?"  
  
"Did you happen to see the flare-like rocket that flew into the ranks?"  
  
"Sort of." Isaac responded, remembering his attention had been focused elsewhere at the time. "I think so, at least."  
  
"Well, that was a shot from my latest invention: The Mortar. Think of it as a catapult that is portable and shoots explosives rather than boulders."  
  
"So, where's that 'flying' machine you were working on?"  
  
"I'm still working out the bugs."  
  
"What are you two talking about?" Mia asked, curious about the flying machine; she'd never heard of anything like it.  
  
"I'll tell you some other time, miss." Triad replied. "By the way, I don't think I know your name."  
  
"I'm Mia. It's a pleasure to meet you Triad."  
  
"Nice to meet you; I remember your name now that you mention it. I thought I heard Garet or Ivan mention your name once or twice along the way. Let's go inside; the others are waiting for you." Triad said, holding open the door of the inn so his friends could pass. Isaac allowed Mia to enter first, and he followed her, with Triad behind him.  
  
"Hey guys, the guests of the hour have finally shown up." Triad called up the stairwell. A sudden barrage of footsteps sounded as Garet charged down the wooden stairs like a herd of cows in a stampede.  
  
"Isaac!" Garet shouted as be bounded down the stairs.  
  
"Garet!" Isaac returned, as his big friend nearly tackled him in excitement. "Good to see you, bro!"  
  
"Same to you, you stiff." Garet said, pushing Isaac's head sideways in a gesture of friendship.  
  
"It's been awhile, old friend." Ivan said, walking down the stairs quietly. "I'm glad the fates chose for our paths to meet again, though I wish in better times."  
  
"Indeed, Ivan." Isaac replied, shaking his friend's hand.  
  
"Well now, why haven't you said hello to me yet?" A female voice remarked, jokingly coming down the stairs. Jenna descended to the ground with a smile on her face.  
  
"Jenna, it's nice to see you too." Isaac said, Jenna pulling him into a friendly hug.  
  
"Don't you run off on us again, Isaac!" Jenna said, after letting him go.  
  
"I won't, I promise." He returned.  
  
"Good; Jenna was worried sick about you." Felix said, entering the area. "Garet was the same way."  
  
"What about you, brother?!" Jenna retorted.  
  
"Nah." Felix said, with a short smile. Isaac smiled too; Felix rarely joked around, and when he did, it usually wasn't so blatant.  
  
"Well, someone's being sarcastic or my name isn't Dargon." Dargon said, coming down the wooden stairs, out of his armor for the first time all day.  
  
"Hey, I told you to leave with the townsfolk!"  
  
"And I did. But you didn't say NOT to come back. By the way, the townsfolk should be back soon."  
  
"How? No one's sent a message to them, right?" Mia inquired.  
  
"I sent my raven, Dante, out with a message for them to return. Dante will get the job done; you know how smart he is, Mia." Mia smiled, but turned back to him.  
  
"Dargon, why are you staying at the inn?"  
  
"Well, that boulder that put the hole in the wall kind of crushed my house. Try explaining that to the building inspector." Dargon said, scratching the back of his head.  
  
"Well, I'm glad to see everyone's okay; sorry we took so long getting here, Isaac." Garet turned.  
  
"If Felix had been leading the party, we would've been here days ago, Garet!" Jenna mumbled.  
  
"Hey! I did the best I could!"  
  
"That's why Isaac was the leader when we were a group!"  
  
"You two, that's enough!" Isaac shouted; Garet and Jenna instantly spun to face Isaac, stunned at his outburst. "You're acting too much like you always do!" Isaac smiled.  
  
"She started it!" Garet pointed out.  
  
"No, I didn't! You did!" She replied, and the two began arguing again. Isaac rolled his eyes, and turned to Triad.  
  
"So, I'm assuming you're the one who told them I was coming this way?"  
  
"Red-handed, Isaac." Triad replied, smiling nervously. "So, you're not going to skewer me with your sword, are you?"  
  
"No, I'll just leave Flint alone with you for a night." Isaac jeered. Garet jumped at his comment.  
  
"No! You wouldn't be so cruel!" The conversations continued on until nightfall, where each of the weary warriors finally took a well-deserved rest. Unbeknownst to them, fate had much more in store for them than just one mere battle at the gates of Imil. . .  
  
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Author's Note: Okay, sorry about the cliffhangers. It's just I don't know any better way to leave off. Try not to flash fry me this time. You can thank Midnight C for teaching me this fine art. (Midnight C glares at Triad Orion.) Uh oh. . . looks like trouble is heading this way. See ya! 


	14. The Reaper's Wrath

Author's Note: Well, I'm posting two chapters at once, because I've made the determination that I don't want to publish this chapter as a stand alone. I've already installed defense systems on my house. . . so don't try to force me to write more!  
  
************************************  
  
Ivan stood tranquil, perched upon a cliff high in the mountains. The wind blew through his golden hair, his purple eyes closed. The wind was warm, though without humidity. The winds were very relaxing, especially considering his high altitude and the battle he had undergone the day he served through the day before. Nothing could make this moment better, save for having a friend around. The warm breeze blew harder into his continence, which was still serene. As the wind speed increased, Ivan's face turned more irritable. His violet eyes shot open as the wind began to increase in temperature and picked up the scent of sulfur and brimstone. The world he looked down to was full of fire, chaos, and destruction; he had no place in the world, and he couldn't move from his perch, which was now just a stone spire that stood from the ground. The area around him was a forest, burning with an unnatural intensity, and in the distance, he could see villages and towns burning in the same fashion, people running everywhere on fire. Ivan could not stop the fire from spreading, as he couldn't move. The dream suddenly halted, and he shot forward from his covers in his bed. "Another dream? No. . . premonition. I can feel the evil of whatever caused that fire is active and on the move. . ." Ivan whispered to himself as he shifted in his bed. "I feel that we don't have much time. I must wake the others." Ivan stood from his mattress and walked quietly to Triad's bedside, and shook him by the shoulder lightly.  
  
"Rrgh. . ."  
  
"Triad, wake up."  
  
"Igmoefiale. . ."  
  
"Triad."  
  
"Five more minutes. . ." Triad mumbled, as he started waking up. Ivan noticed in the darkness Triad had sat up, his sunglasses still on his face. "What is it, Ivan?"  
  
"We must get on the move."  
  
"For what?! We made it to Imil in time."  
  
"Imil isn't the only place that needs our protection now. I don't know exactly what the next target is, but I know where we must head. Help me wake the others."  
  
"Ivan, what are you babbling about?"  
  
"I had another vision."  
  
"Are you sure it wasn't just a nightmare?!"  
  
"I'm sure it was a premonition, Triad. You must trust my judgement." Ivan said, calmly.  
  
"All right, all right. What do you want me to do?"  
  
"Help me wake the others."  
  
"Wake the others?! Do you know how hard it is to wake Garet from a sound sleep?!"  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid. Let's go wake Jenna and Felix first." Triad slipped out of his bedding, and followed Ivan across the hall to their friend's room. Ivan rapped on the door quietly, and when no one replied, he rapped again.  
  
"Hold on, I'm coming." Felix's voice sounded, and the door opened moments later. Felix was suffering from a terrible case of bed hair, as though he was having a rough night sleeping as well. "Ivan, what do you want?" Felix asked, sleepily.  
  
"Felix, we need to leave Imil right away."  
  
"Can't this wait until morning, Ivan?"  
  
"No, Felix. I sense a great evil that has awakened into the world. If we don't move now, we maybe too late to help anyone." Ivan replied. Felix rubbed his bed-ridden hair down and stood silent for a moment. He turned to face Ivan directly.  
  
"You sensed it too?" Felix asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Sensed it?! What are you two talking about?!" Triad asked, in a semi- loud whisper.  
  
"Nothing. I'll wake Jenna and get Garet. You two go find Isaac and Mia. I'm not even a Jupiter Adept and I sensed it. . . Perhaps they have too." Felix replied. "Go now." Felix said, pointing down the hall and for the staircase. Ivan nodded, and he turned down the hallway. Triad stood confused and dumbfounded for a moment before finally following his young Jupiter Adept friend. Felix turned back into his room, seeing the slender figure of his younger sister already on her feet, gazing at him. Felix prepared to explain, but she cut him off.  
  
"I know, Felix. Go wake Garet." Jenna said, softly. Felix made no notion of compliance, save for his swift movement from the room. Felix swiftly and silently moved down the hall; he would have spooked a phantom with his quiet and quick moves. He reached the wooden door where Garet bunked, and he tapped on the door. No response. Felix reached for the doorknob, and turned it. Garet had forgotten to lock the door, and as he opened the door, he heard the moderate snoring of Dargon and the heavy snoring of Garet. Felix stealthily approached Garet's bedside, but was suddenly grasped into a headlock with a sword point near his neck.  
  
"Your stealth skills need work. I could hear you halfway down the hall." A voice sounded. The person released Felix from his grip and he spun to see his assailant. It was none other than the swordsman, Dargon, who was supposed to be asleep. "I'll give you one thing, you're pretty slick, Felix. What are you doing in here?"  
  
"There's trouble. Help me wake Garet."  
  
"There is no need for that, Felix." Garet replied, sitting up. "I know. Ivan will lead us to where we need to go, right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What is going on?" Dargon asked.  
  
"There's trouble. We must be going. You're welcome to tag along if you wish." Felix returned.  
  
"Thanks. I think a little adventure sounds good; besides. . . travelling with you guys will be more interesting than spending a winter in Imil."  
  
"Good to have you aboard, Dargon. I'm assuming Triad's going to hang on for the ride too, Felix?" Garet asked. Felix nodded, and he turned for the door.  
  
"Be ready right away. When Ivan and Triad get back with Isaac and Mia, we're heading out immediately."  
  
*************************  
  
Ivan and Triad pushed through the Imilian winter night. The cold was unbearable; Triad, who'd never been anyplace colder than Lunpa during the winter, was shivering and complaining about the cold mere moments after departing from the inn. The cobblestone paths were coated in snow and ice, making walking difficult and at times, treacherous. The buildings of Imil were covered in white powder, smoke rising from each chimney. Triad shivered more as the icy winds of the north cut through him like a dagger. He wished he could be inside, preferably in a cozy chair next to the fireplace with a flask of hot apple cider and a good physics book at his side. His home in Tolbi was never like this; he'd only been in Imil for one day and he hated the weather already. He kicked through the snow, trying to keep pace with a fervored Ivan, who was blazing a trail ahead of him.  
  
"Ivan, enlighten me. What the hell is so important as to push you into this sense of urgency? You've never seemed the pushy type." Triad shouted through the biting winds, wiping snow from his brow.  
  
"I sense danger. The future of Angara may hang in the balance. Triad, I know you are a man of logic, and I sense you don't believe me, but you must put your faith in my thoughts."  
  
"Then again, Felix seemed to have sensed it too, and he's not a Jupiter Adept, correct?"  
  
"No, he's not."  
  
"Well, if he sensed it, it's logical that Isaac or Mia might've sensed it too."  
  
"So, you believe me, Triad?"  
  
"You seem trustful enough, Ivan; and Felix feeling the same thing is no mere coincidence. I may not be an Adept, but I'm sure there is something going on." Triad said, as they pushed near to Mia's abode. "This is it, is it not?" Ivan nodded, and peered into the window. The fireplace was lit inside, and Isaac was sleeping soundly on his bed, sword and shield next to his bedpost. Before Ivan could pull his eyes away, Isaac shot forward from his sleeping position in alarm. He looked left and right, and he wiped his brow, now obviously shaken. He sat forward for awhile, but it wasn't long before a door to a side room opened and Mia emerged. She looked shaken and pale as well; perhaps they both saw the same thing he had. Ivan went and rapped on the front door as hard as he could. Before too long, the door opened, Mia gazing at the fifteen-year old mage.  
  
"Did you sense it too, Ivan?" Mia asked, quietly.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Isaac did as well. He's getting his equipment on. Come in and wait. We'll be with you in a few moments." Ivan nodded, and kicked the snow from his boots, while Triad followed suit. "Triad, did you sense it as well?"  
  
"No, I didn't. Though if Ivan says he saw what he saw, then he did. I'll put my faith into you guys any day." Mia smiled, and left the room. "Ivan, tell me what exactly you saw."  
  
"Well, this might be faster than explaining it to you." Ivan said, placing his hand on Triad's shoulder. Images of fire and brimstone raced through Triad's subconscious, and his expression changed countless times during the transfer. Confusion, fear, rage; all became part of his face at one point or another before Ivan finally released his grip. "Do you understand now, Triad?"  
  
"All too well." Triad replied, shocked. "I have no further objection; so, where are we heading?"  
  
"Wherever my instincts guide us. That'll point us to where we need to be." Ivan returned, quietly. Ivan stopped has he heard Isaac's footsteps into the room.  
  
"I'm ready." Isaac said simply.  
  
"I'm sorry we couldn't stay in Imil longer, Isaac; we're going to miss the services for the dead. . ." Isaac's head drooped for a moment before he pulled it back up.  
  
"No matter. It's not like we can never come back to Imil to pay respects. Did the others sense it too?"  
  
"They did."  
  
"Mia did too. This is very bad; if I could sense it, it must be serious. Venus Adepts have never been known for ever accurately foreseeing the future."  
  
"I'm aware, Isaac. Venus and Jupiter are opposing elements, after all."  
  
"Psynergy elements, I'm assuming?" Triad asked, curious.  
  
"Correct." Isaac returned, spotting Mia from the corner of his eye. "Let's move. Where are the others?"  
  
"Back at the inn, waiting for us." Triad replied. "Let's go." The foursome fought the harsh north winds back to the inn, Triad still mumbling about the cold and particularly unpleasant weather of that night. The others awaited outside the inn, and greeted their companions with a quick salutation.  
  
"Dargon? You're coming too?" Isaac asked in surprise. "I thought you'd stay here in Imil!"  
  
"No, the town doesn't need me; I'm a warrior! It's in my blood, and peaceful Imil isn't really the place for someone like me. Besides, I owe you this much, Isaac; without you, this town and its people would be nothing but ashes." Dargon replied, head inside his Captain's Helmet.  
  
"Thanks, Dargon. Ivan, where are we supposed to head?" Isaac asked. Ivan paused, and closed his eyes; he began glowing an odd purple aura and rings of energy spiraled around his small frame. Eventually, the rings of light dissipated and Ivan opened his violet eyes.  
  
"We must head that way." He said, pointing to the west. "That's where we must go."  
  
"So be it, then. Let's move out!" Isaac ordered. The group did as ordered, walking in two single-file lines. Isaac, Garet, Triad and Dargon made up one line, while Mia, Jenna, Ivan, and Felix made up the other. The team of eight marched out of Imil, and headed due west of the town of Imil.  
  
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The west was a difficult path; mountains constantly confounded the weary adventurers at every turn. Luckily, the farther west they drew, the milder it got, much to the relief of Triad and Garet, who both had it with two feet of snow and constant freezing winds. It had been five days since they had left from Imil, and everyone already felt like they were a big family. Dargon and Triad had managed to find themselves a nice niche amongst the experienced veterans of adventure. Triad and Ivan had become like brothers, quite similar to Isaac and Garet, and Dargon seemed to have developed a strong friendship with just about everyone in the group. Thankfully, the atmosphere among the lot of them remained friendly despite the frenzied and fervored pace they were forced to move at. Isaac was an excellent trailblazer who could cover incredible amounts of miles in a single day, but sadly, Triad, Dargon, and Mia couldn't keep as strong a pace as the their leader, so he was forced to slow himself.  
  
As they pressed further and further on, Ivan's nightmares, or premonitions as he preferred to call them, got more and more frequent and severe. It was common now for Ivan to snap awake twice or thrice a night in a cold sweat because of his dreams. Triad had at one point mentioned to Garet that life as a Jupiter Adept has got to stink big time. Garet, who was a Mars Adept all his life, was tempted to agree. Dargon, who had some doubts about leaving Imil hours after their departure, was coaxed forward by Jenna and Garet, who both obviously respected his abilities and skill.  
  
The mountains they were in were relatively small, forest-covered mountains, giving ample wood and shelter from the winds and any storms that could hit. What was considered an advantage could easily be pushed into a disadvantage, for in the forest lurked many creatures; some benign, others malevolent. Most malevolent. Countless encounters along the way were dotted with Undead, Zombies, Skeleton Warriors, giant spiders, rat creatures, and the occasional hellhound. There was nothing too serious for the warriors, though Triad managed to get himself in trouble a couple of times from some hellhounds. It was obvious Triad lacked significant battle experience and any sort of Psynergy at all, so he was judged as the worst fighter. The title was taken by Triad surprisingly well; he usually took insult at comments quickly, but he acknowledged his lack of skill and vowed to eliminate it.  
  
After the sixth day of travel, Ivan halted the group as they were preparing to walk over a ridge. "The place we need to go is just over this ridge. I can feel it."  
  
"Are you sure, Ivan?"  
  
"I'm certain, though I can't help but feel some really bad vibes right now. Perhaps we've arrived too late."  
  
"I think not! Come on!" Isaac shouted, lunging forward and bounding over the ridge. Garet and Mia were hot on his heels, and the others eventually all followed. "Okay, now what? We're still in the forest."  
  
"The forest clears about in about a 100 yards. Beyond that is what we want to find." Ivan stated. Isaac nodded, and pushed through the forest, but before he emerged, he turned and waited for his friends. The teams split into pairs with whom they emerged from the forest. Isaac and Mia were in the front, followed by Ivan and Jenna, Triad and Dargon, and Garet and Felix in back. Garet could've sworn he had heard Mia or Jenna gasp, so he pushed forward next to Isaac. "Isaac, what's going o-- what the hell?!" Garet asked to Isaac just as he saw the sight in front of him. A village, nestled in the valleys of the mountains, tightly knit and quite quaint, lay burning below them in the dusk twilight. The smell of the fire perforated Garet's nostrils, who, although was used to the smell of fire, abhorred him to no end. The fires smelled hellish, with what smelled like brimstone or sulfur. Garet stared further at the burning village, wondering if there were any survivors. Not a word was spoken among the group; all just watched in shock as the once- proud village of Vale slowly burned into a cinder. 


	15. Shattered Hopes

The sound that broke the silence was a soft thunk of Jenna falling to her knees, witnessing the town she called home flaming below her. Tears welled within her purple irises and she began weeping nearly uncontrollably. Felix and Garet moved quickly to console her, though they themselves both had a hard time accepting what had happened. Isaac, whom never moved a muscle since he first spotted the town, remained completely still, staring down at the burning homes. Mia moved forward, and turned to face him; Mia saw no emotion on the face of the warrior. Or perhaps, it was so many emotions they all blended together; she couldn't be sure. One thing was sure, she did feel the surge of emotion from Isaac, though he had no intention of displaying it. Ivan, Dargon, and Triad were busy trying to figure out what to do next; go down and see what was going on or to keep moving.  
  
"We're at a quandary here on this one, guys. What should we do?" Triad asked.  
  
"Is this where your dreams told you to go, Ivan?"  
  
"I think so. I think we need to investigate the area for any survivors. I just wish I knew what caused this."  
  
"No matter. Let's go check it out, but we might want to leave Jenna up here with someone to look after her."  
  
"She'll be fine." Felix responded, obviously overhearing their conversation. "I think she'd prefer to investigate than sit here." Triad shrugged at Felix's comment, but relented.  
  
"Well, you seem to know Jenna better than any of us, so I guess if that's what she wants. . ."  
  
"It is." She replied, halting her tears. "I want to find the people responsible for this and personally tear their arms out from their sockets!" She stood, Angelic Ankh in her left hand. "I'm going to go give whatever did this what-for!" Jenna shouted, eyes full of fire as she skidded down the rocky embankment to the burning Vale. Garet was notably surprised by the girl's quick change in emotion, but was the first to follow her down the hill. Isaac, soon realizing this was his battle too, jumped from his perch and tailed Garet closely. Mia, seeing Isaac moving quickly, did the same. Felix more deliberately waited a few moments and then followed; he managed to catch up in mere seconds to Isaac. Triad, Ivan, and Dargon, whom had been the furthest from the threshold anyway, were the ones in the back. Vale was within their reach moments later, when Jenna finally crossed the limits through the southern entrance. Garet came to her side seconds later, panting heavily. Isaac arrived seconds later, with Mia and Felix arriving at roughly the same time. Ivan was the next to arrive, followed by Triad, then the armor-clad Dargon. Isaac walked forward into the town, half-expecting to still smell the ambrosial bliss of the baker's pastries. The only thing he smelt was the hellish stench of brimstone, sulfur, and burning rotting flesh. His stomach leapt over several times as he struggled not to vomit from the awful stench of death. Night had now fallen in the town of Vale, but the burning homes provided eerie illumination to the town. He turned to his companions; Garet was looking quite green himself, while Felix and Jenna looked merely unsettled. Through inspection, he noticed Triad to be nowhere in sight; he soon found out why when he heard the sounds of retching moments later. Isaac, who was quite at distress, drew his Gaia Blade and walked carefully through the town, the others following, weapons in hands.  
  
"What happened here?" Triad asked, having caught up and recovering from his nausea moments before. The arm in which he held his crystal sword was shaking slightly, showing his uneasiness to the situation. Isaac pitched his way down another street and was promptly attacked by an unknown creature. The creature grabbed him and attempted to bite out his throat, but he managed to shove it off by kicking it in the abdomen. Getting his focus, he realized it was a zombie; nothing he couldn't handle. Pushing his sword forward into attack position, he leapt at the creature, cleaving off its right arm, and then stabbing it in the chest. It fell to the ground moaning, before it ceased a moment after it had been downed.  
  
"Isaac! What was that?!" Garet shouted.  
  
"Zombie. The place must've been attacked by monsters." He said, after turning away and back to Garet. The large boy walked up and investigated Isaac's handiwork.  
  
"Isaac, this isn't the work of monsters." He said, fear trembling in his voice.  
  
"Then what was it?" He said, turning back.  
  
"Take a look." Garet replied. The Venus Adept turned back to look at exactly what he had killed. It was a zombie all right, but in life it had brown hair and a mustache to match. The figure was very familiar. "Isaac, this was Mr. Carson; in life, at least." Isaac took a step back. It WAS Carson, the blacksmith in Vale. Why the hell was he a zombie, anyway? What the hell had happened here? He had no idea at all. "Isaac, something big happened here. Something big and evil. No wonder we could all sense it." Isaac nodded, but his reply was choked with the withholding of tears.  
  
"Keep on your guard, Garet. We don't know how many other townsfolk got turned into zombies. Go warn the others. I'm going for a look around."  
  
"Alone?"  
  
"I'll be fine, Garet." Isaac pushed, pointing Garet back down the road he had come down. Isaac turned and continued his path. His oafish friend sighed and walked back down the path and rejoined the group.  
  
Though when he caught up with the group, they were already engaged in a fierce battle; a large group of undead had ambushed them and were attacking from all sides. Garet had no time to lose; he drew his Swift Sword and leapt into battle by unleashing a Sonic Smash on an unsuspecting zombie. The battle remained short-lived when Ivan summoned his Tornado attack, sending the bodies of the undead in every direction, slaying each one on the spot.  
  
"Nice work, Ivan." Mia said.  
  
"Thanks. Garet, where's Isaac?"  
  
"He's off looking for survivors. I suggest we split up into pairs and take a look around."  
  
"If we do that, we'll have an odd man out." Triad replied.  
  
"I'll go look for Isaac." Mia replied after a moment. "Don't worry about me; I can handle a few zombies on my own." She dashed off in the direction Isaac had left to, leaving the others behind. Dargon secretly rolled his eyes behind the visor of his Captain's Helmet; he knew those two were lovebirds from the start, but he had no idea that they were that hopeless. He guessed no one else in the group knew, save for Felix, that Isaac and Mia were in love with each other.  
  
"Who's on the teams?" Ivan asked.  
  
"Well, I better go with Garet to make sure he doesn't get himself killed." Jenna sighed.  
  
"No one's asking you to be my partner, Jenna."  
  
"You didn't hear me, did you, Garet?"  
  
"Apparently not."  
  
"Cut it out, you two." Triad said. "You two make a good team despite your bickering. All right, Ivan, you with me?"  
  
"Fine by me." Ivan replied.  
  
"Felix, you're with Dargon." Garet stated.  
  
"Well duh, Garet! Who else would he be with?" Jenna asked.  
  
"Knock it off, both of you!" Felix snapped. "Can't you stay serious for two minutes? Come on, Dargon." Felix said, marching off to the north.  
  
"Right." He said, following.  
  
"Jenna, you and I will look this way." Garet said, moving east.  
  
"Well, I guess we go south." Triad concluded. Ivan nodded, and the three groups split apart.  
  
*****************************  
  
"I can't believe what's happened here." Ivan said. "It's like a nightmare." He glared down at the body of the zombie he just vanquished; it was a child. A young girl. He was ashamed at what he knew had to be done; he felt no better than one of the centaurs that had attacked Imil. Ivan was ready to lose his mind having to fight these abominations that were once human, and Triad looked the same way.  
  
"I wish I knew what did this; it wasn't a bite from a zombie or anything; it looks like whatever caused this was magical in nature. Perhaps they were cursed." Triad remarked, sticking his blood-stained crystal sword back in its scabbard.  
  
"If only we could know for sure."  
  
"We've found no clues or traces of survivors. Now what?"  
  
"I don't know. My senses are dulled right now."  
  
"Probably from using your Psynergy so much. It's draining on one's body, Ivan. I'm not even an Adept and I know that."  
  
"All I sense is evil. I wish I knew what the source of it was." Ivan said, looking to the north at Mount Aleph. "Could it be up there?"  
  
"I doubt it, Ivan." Triad said. "Whatever caused it was definitely a creature of some sort, whether it was human or beast, I do not know." He continued, facing north as well. Both remained silent for a while before the winds carried a new voice to their ears.  
  
"The dark wind howls; I sense a great danger that will plague the world unless it is stopped." Ivan and Triad spun on their heels to face their new arrival, and Ivan's visage lightened on sight of the figure. She was roughly his height, with the same color hair and eyes as himself. Her face was calm, neutral, and objective.  
  
"Sheba! What are you doing here?"  
  
"The same thing you are, Ivan. Following my instincts; it looks like I've arrived too late to help anyone." She returned, voice calm and even.  
  
"No. This is far from over; I'll bet that this kind of thing might happen again." Ivan returned.  
  
"Your instincts tell you so?" She inquired, tone unchanged.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then it must be so. I suggest finding the source of this plague first; I still sense it within the area. We must be cautious, however. This force could be bigger than all of us." Sheba returned.  
  
"Excuse me, but I don't think been introduced. My name's Triad Orion, and you are?"  
  
"My name is Sheba. It is nice to meet you, Triad."  
  
"The pleasure is mine. So, I take it you know Ivan from his travels?"  
  
"Yes, I do." Sheba replied, tone remaining very calm. Triad whispered close to Ivan's ear.  
  
"Quiet type, isn't she?"  
  
"Sometimes. She'll get used to you."  
  
"I'm just not trustful of new people, Triad. It was thinking the other way that got me taken hostage twice." She returned.  
  
"She heard us?"  
  
"I'm a Jupiter Adept. Your mind is as loud and clear as a bell."  
  
"Yikes! Hey, it was bad enough when I had Ivan here reading my mind, but now I got another person to worry about? Geez. . ." Sheba broke her objective facial expression and smiled.  
  
"Ivan, your friend is funny. A bit stupid and a tad annoying, but funny."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
*****************************  
  
Mia slowly walked though what remained of Vale's west side; not much remained at all. Most of the houses here had already been burned to the ground, and the bodies of several burned Valeans lay scattered amongst the rubble. Mia's heart ached at the sight of each dead body, but she imagined the pain would be twice as worse on Isaac's heart. Each second, the realization of what could've happened in Imil if Isaac hadn't been there to stop the siege. She knew that the exact thing would've happened in Imil, but her body would probably be amongst her people's. Shuddering, she sought only to find Isaac and see if she could comfort him. Mia continued to pace down the path, seeing the remains of zombified townsfolk that had been slashed and hacked into submission; Isaac had no doubt been through here, and he was undoubtedly angered. The sword marks in the remnants of the monsters were viscous and bloodthirsty. Mia wasn't sure if the warrior responsible for this was the Isaac she knew or some wild beast. She followed the footprints of dead blood and mud and eventually moved to the edge of town and into a forest. She continued following the disturbed underbrush, and eventually she could hear a river raging not far away. The path was going uphill, and she could see a clearing not far ahead, where the sound of the river raged louder. Clearing the forest, she gazed out to a thirty-foot cliff above the fast moving river, with none other than Isaac standing at the edge of the peak, bloody Gaia Blade in his right hand. He stood, staring at the other side of the embankment, which had to be a hundred feet away. No motion was made of his body, though his long golden scarf flapped in the light winds from the north. Mia made no notion to approach, though he finally shifted his arm and slowly sheathed his sword. Isaac's arm returned to his side, and he continued gazing into the star- studded night sky. Finally, she determined it would be best to just talk to him, so she cautiously walked up beside him.  
  
"It's kind of funny, Mia; the way the world works. . ." Isaac uttered, not turning his head.  
  
"Isaac. . ."  
  
"Why, Mia? Why them? Why Vale? Of all the towns on all the continents in all of the world, why did it have to be Vale that this happened to?" Isaac clenched his fist. "If only I hadn't left Vale out of my own selfish ambition! The town would still be okay!"  
  
"Isaac, you don't know that. . . besides, if you hadn't left town, everyone in Imil would be dead by now. Myself included." Mia said, cupping his clenched fist in her hand. It loosened almost instantly, but tightened lightly around her hand. "Isaac, fate is cruel; sometimes there is just nothing anyone can do. One way or another, one of the towns would've been wiped out; maybe even both." Mia paused before continuing. "Isaac, I know you've lost a lot recently. . . but you can't let it wear you down or turn you into a compassionless, bloodthirsty savage. Remember what you told me, Isaac? About how Justin and Megan wouldn't want me to be grief-stricken forever? Do you really think the people of Vale are any different?" Mia asked. "Isaac, if it makes you feel better, I promise you we'll find who did this and see that they meet justice." Isaac finally turned to face Mia, and he nodded slowly.  
  
"Thank you, Mia. I'm just not used to feeling powerless to do something; it's never been an option for me in the past. It's just. . . Vale held so many memories for me. That little town meant more to me than even I thought; it was the place of my birth, where I was raised with Garet and Jenna, where my father taught me how to use a sword, where my father died, where I was forced to leave after the Sol Sanctum incident, and where my mother died. So many different memories; so many different emotions. I still remember the smell of the cakes at the baker's. They were freshly made every single day, and the baker's pastries were never too sweet; her pastries were to die for. I miss the quiet murmur of the streets, the bustle of friendly people. Even this spot holds many memories to me. I remember when Garet and I were about ten, we came down here to go fishing; the river was calm then, and it was full of small-mouth bass and trout. We sat down on the bank here and fished for hours at a time, never catching a thing. We didn't care, though. We just had a good time doing nothing. Why, another time, Garet's sister stomped through here and dragged him home by the ear because he forgot to clear the table after breakfast. I don't think I had laughed that hard in my whole life." Isaac reminisced. A strange sort of joy and sorrow flashed through his sapphire blue eyes as he spoke, conveying each emotion he felt. "Then, about four years ago. . . a huge boulder tore through Vale, killing my father, Jenna's parents, and supposedly Felix. It wasn't until later that I figured out who it was that was responsible for that incident. . ."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Saturos and Menardi. They were attempting to break into the Sol Sanctum even then. You can imagine at the moment I saw them plunge from the Venus Lighthouse, it brought a great sense of satisfaction and closure; though it didn't last forever." Isaac stopped for a moment. "Mia, thank you for being here with me. It means a lot to me. More than you'll ever know."  
  
"I think I know, Isaac." She said, hugging him warmly. "You've only been there for me all the time; from the moment we met to now. I love you, and I'll be here for you no matter what."  
  
"Mia. . ." He leaned down to kiss her, but she moved up into it instead. Again, the moment lasted for hours, yet only seconds. As they slowly pulled away, their eyes locked again, and both remained silent; only the sounds of the winds and the river in front of them made any noise at all. Minutes passed, as they continued studying each other.  
  
"You know, this is such a touching scene, I think I'm going to vomit." A sinister voice rung out. Isaac and Mia both cancelled their stares and snapped to the real world. "Pathetic. Truly pathetic."  
  
"Wait. . . I know that voice. . ." Isaac muttered to himself, and he spun around while drawing his Gaia Blade.  
  
*******************************************  
  
Author's Note: Now you know why I posted both chapters at once! If I posted this alone, I was likely to have an atomic bomb dropped on my house! At least this way I'm safe! No one can get through my defense systems! (Triad's doorbell rings.)  
  
Voice: Pizza delivery for Triad Orion!  
  
Triad: PIZZA! ALL RIGHT! (Charges to door and opens it, only to see Midnight C, Alex, Vilya, and every other angry GS writer on FF.net.) Um, I can explain. . . Really! 


	16. Dark Truths

Triad's Log: Day 7: I've been on the run for a week now. . . I have found temporary shelter, but I fear it is only a matter of time before the maddened GS authors find me and torture me to death; I barely managed to escape the enraged group that tricked me with a pizza delivery ploy, but I was pretty badly hurt. Now I must get the next chapter up before they find me and seal my fate. . .  
  
Anyway, enough goofing around. Here we go!  
  
*************************************  
  
"You're the one responsible for Vale's destruction, aren't you?!" Isaac shouted at the mystery figure.  
  
"Yes, I most certainly am; though. . .I wouldn't take the credit alone."  
  
"I figured as much. Where there's smoke, there's bound to be fire."  
  
"I couldn't help but notice your lack of admiration of my handiwork, Isaac. I'm disappointed in you."  
  
"Don't patronize me."  
  
"Who's patronizing? I'm merely stating a fact, Adept."  
  
"Your point is taken." Isaac curtly replied, holding his Gaia Sword up. "I've defeated you before; I'll defeat you again." The figure laughed shortly before continuing.  
  
"Doubtful. I still believe your victory was a fluke."  
  
"I'll prove it wasn't."  
  
"I'd like to see you bring it forth, warrior." The figure drew a rather huge blade from a scabbard and held it with both hands out in front of him. "You'll never win, Adept."  
  
"Enough of your empty threats, Saturos! You're as good as dead!" Isaac shouted, charging at the Mars Adept.  
  
"I was hoping you'd say that." Saturos smirked, leaping toward Isaac. Their steel swords clashed together, sending sparks flying everywhere. Isaac swung at him again laterally, but Saturos was quick enough to block with his massive bastard sword. His blood red eyes gazed back at Isaac with a fire of maniacal hatred as he swung his massive blade at him. Isaac ducked under the blade and tried to lunge into another attack, but Saturos jumped away without breaking a sweat. His white teeth contrasted with the pale blue of his skin as he smirked in bloodlust at the Venus Adept. Isaac pivoted his sword into a new attack, which Saturos blocked with no effort at all. The sinister Mars Adept swung back, grazing Isaac's left arm as he dodged away. Small bits of his tunic were shaved off by the blade as Isaac danced to the side. He could feel the burn of the wound; Saturos had knicked him with the blade, causing a scratch. Isaac dove forward and shot left, sending Saturos into a defensive position. Isaac swung his blade several times, only to have it deflected each time by Saturos. The blue- skinned Adept leapt back several feet.  
  
"You've gotten better, Isaac. There's no doubt about that. . . Though, your skills are. . . lacking." He said, shoving his arm forward, blasting at Isaac with a Heat Wave attack. Isaac raised his Earth Shield and braced for impact, which was heavy. He could feel the searing flames get past his shield and burn his skin; it stung like no tomorrow. After the stream of fire subsided, Isaac smiled at Saturos.  
  
"Your Psynergy needs work, Saturos. I've seen stronger heat waves in the Lamakan Desert." Isaac raised his own arm, sending an earthquake surging in the ground beneath Saturos. Shaken, but hardly damaged, Saturos smiled back.  
  
"I say we quit messing around, Isaac. You and I both know we're both stronger than this." Isaac grunted.  
  
"Do as you please." Isaac muttered, lunging at Saturos with his blade. He quickly blocked, but dodged backwards and away from further onslaught.  
  
"Your eyes are blinded with rage, Isaac. I'm glad to see my little plan has worked out so well."  
  
"One thing bugs me, Saturos. How the hell are you still alive?"  
  
"Well, I'm not 'still' alive, but I am alive. You and your friends did indeed kill me and Menardi at the Venus Lighthouse, but we were both brought back to life."  
  
"By whom?"  
  
"Some foolish centaur mage working for someone named Sirius. He wanted to use us as weapons against the town of Imil, but we decided to, how do I put this?.Decline. Do you have any idea how good centaur meat roasted on a spit tastes, Isaac?" Saturos asked sinisterly.  
  
"You said 'us'. . ."  
  
"Isaac, look out!" Mia shouted, pointing into the trees. Isaac's eyes flashed upward, and his sword blade caught the blade of Menardi's scythe that was about to come down on him.  
  
"So, there were two of you out here! I'm not surprised to see you pull this dirty trick!" Isaac exclaimed, kicking Menardi away with his right leg. She staggered back, and sharply replied:  
  
"Then you shouldn't have walked right into it!" She snapped back.  
  
"If I may continue, the foolish mage also resurrected Alex, but the spineless coward had no further intentions of joining us again. He claimed he'd rather seek out his own quest. At the very least, he lit the Jupiter Lighthouse and saved us a good deal of headache. Anyway, Sirius was a fool; seeking to control the power of Mercury. I knew the idiot was destined to fail; so I sought no alliance with him."  
  
"So you were the trump card he spoke of."  
  
"Indeed. Now, you know what we came for. Hand over the Elemental Star of Mars, if you value your life."  
  
"I'd never surrender it to you."  
  
"Perhaps if we were to take the life of your precious healer you'd understand." Menardi glowered at Mia, menacingly.  
  
"Over my dead body would you ever hurt Mia."  
  
"Noble. I expecting nothing less from the likes of you, Isaac. Hand it over."  
  
"I don't even have it." Isaac replied, pausing before continuing. "So that's why you attacked Vale."  
  
"Caught red-handed. Though, it's not exactly accurate. That was one of the reasons we burned Vale into ashes, but the other reason was revenge on you!" Menardi smirked. "Well, if you don't have it, we'll kill you anyway." Menardi and Saturos leapt forward on the attack and Isaac was forced to keep his eye on the powerful Saturos and the agile Menardi. Deflecting both scythe and sword, Isaac couldn't go on the offensive, and he was knicked several more times by both blades. Each injury burned, and he was being pushed farther and farther to the edge of the cliff. Suddenly, both evil adepts stopped, and an arrow whizzed between both of their heads, and caught Isaac in the shoulder. He yelled out in pain as he staggered back, closer to Mia. He looked as his long-range assailant.  
  
"So, it's you? That's actually a shock." Isaac muttered, half smiling.  
  
"Is it? I thought you would've figured it out a long time ago, Isaac." A man stated.  
  
"It took you long enough, Edward." Saturos muttered back to his comrade.  
  
"Why Edward? Why did you turn on the people of Imil? Our people?" Mia asked, quietly.  
  
"Because I wanted power; the power of the Mercury Clan. Saturos and Menardi could give it to me, and I took the opportunity. Carpe Diem, after all. When I ordered the Imilians to stay and fight, I was sure they'd be wiped out. It was all part of my plan; and when they survived the first two waves, I burned their arrows so they couldn't fight back, but no. . . your friends showed up and complicated things further. Then, you and your companions slew every centaur that fought, including Sirius; I knew then that joining Saturos directly was the only way to gain power. I know now how much of a good choice I made; never have I gotten to torment so many before. No matter, however. After we light the Mars Lighthouse, I shall have all the power I desire. Now, Isaac; I hope you and your Mercury wench are ready to meet the reaper."  
  
"Look who's pathetic now, throwing insults." Isaac muttered, arrow still jaunting from his shoulder. Isaac inched closer to Mia and the edge of the cliff. "Edward, I can't believe you sold out your own people. It's unthinkable. Only a coward would do such a thing, and for nothing more than mere power. You'll rot in Hell when this is all over."  
  
"Well, I did it, and when I am in Hell, Isaac, I'll be having a fun time torturing you."  
  
"That's a shame, because I don't plan on dying anytime soon. Take your shot."  
  
"Any last words, Isaac?" Edward growled.  
  
"Three:" Isaac started, as he stood next to Mia, sheathing his Gaia Sword. "Take a breath!" He said, suddenly tackling Mia and sending them both flying over the edge of the cliff and into the river below. The current was strong, but Isaac held onto Mia with all his might; the cold water stung his cuts and the arrow wound, but as long as he could stay with Mia, he'd be okay. The raging river pushed them farther downstream, and it seemed like horrible hours as they broke the surface of the river, half a mile from where the battle had been. Mia and Isaac gasped for air and Mia began to try to swim to shore.  
  
"Mia! ---" Isaac exclaimed, his head going under for a second. "Let the current take you! Save your strength!" Mia did as told and latched her arms back around Isaac. They floated down the violent river for about ten minutes, when finally the current eased up and they were able to get to the opposite shore with ease. Isaac and Mia crawled from the river, both coughing up water. Isaac collapsed onto his back, gasping for air; he had spent most of the time in the water making sure Mia's head wasn't submerged, which meant his was submerged quite often. Mia, remembering Isaac's arrow wound, warned him of the pain as she extracted the arrow and began her Ply treatment. After she finished, Isaac sat forward and looked at himself and then Mia. They were both sopping wet, soaked to the marrow on a cold night. Isaac could see Mia visibly shivering, and he wrapped her into a hug to try to warm the two of them up.  
  
"We have to move." Isaac said. "Let's get into the forest and we'll find our way back to Vale in the morning." He staggered to his feet and helped Mia up as well. His muscles ached, both from fighting with zombies and Saturos, and as well from being in the river. Mia nuzzled in close to him as they walked, trying to remain warm. The forest was thick, and rough going in the dark, but they finally reached a small circular clearing, probably about 20 feet in diameter. Isaac halted, and he paused before speaking. "This will work out fine. I'll get some of the underbrush and make a fire here." Isaac said, removing his sword from its sheathe and slicing some of the underbrush out from the bottom of the wood and dropping it in the center of the clearing.  
  
"What are you going to use to start the fire with, Isaac? We don't have anything."  
  
"I always come prepared." He said, reaching into his bag, and pulling out a pair of shiny black stones. He slammed them together over the underbrush several times, and sparks flew from the rocks each time, eventually setting the foliage ablaze. Mia smiled in the new illumination as Isaac fanned the fledgling fire into a roaring flame. She snuggled up next to the still- soaked Isaac. Before she could make herself comfortable, she pulled away.  
  
"Isaac, you know you shouldn't stay in those soaked clothes; you'll catch a cold for sure." She said, removing her top layer of robes and hanging them on a tree branch.  
  
"Uh, Mia. . ." Isaac stammered.  
  
"Isaac, it's not like that, and you know it." Mia smiled, removing her second set of robes, leaving her final set on. Her secondary layer hang next to the first. Mia's arms were now bare, and she removed her soaked boots. The remainder of her clothes were still white and blue, much like the upper layers of her robes. Isaac was more hesitant to remove his clothes. He slowly removed his gold scarf, wringing it out after he managed to unfasten the knot. Eventually, he removed most of his clothes, save for his underclothes that he always wore beneath his tunic.  
  
"This is a tad awkward." Isaac admitted, his face blushed.  
  
"What? It's not like we're doing anything we might regret, right?" Mia asked. "We'd catch a chill if we stayed in those clothes. At least now we'll dry out faster."  
  
"Still. . ." Isaac sighed, eyes closed. Mia stealthily moved next to him as he sighed and hugged him. "I wish we could get back to the others and tell them about Saturos. . . I'll never forgive myself if they get hurt because we weren't there to help them." Mia put a finger to his lips to silence him.  
  
"They'll be fine. Garet and the others are very strong; they don't need us to fight them off. Though you know, I'd never live it down myself if they got hurt either." She sighed. "What else can we do but wait? We'll get lost if we leave the clearing; you said it yourself."  
  
"You're right, as usual." Isaac sighed. "I can't believe what Edward did, though."  
  
"I never trusted him, Isaac. I didn't vote for him when it came time for elections; I always thought he was hiding something. . . much like Alex. . ."  
  
"Alex? What about him?"  
  
"Nothing, Isaac. It's not important."  
  
"If it's something that is bothering you, it's important."  
  
"I. . . just always sensed Alex impure."  
  
"Then why was he trained?"  
  
"Because Megan and Justin were too young to begin training; they still were in training when they were killed." Mia said, voice breaking.  
  
"Mia. . ." Isaac replied, strengthening his loving hold on Mia's thin frame. "They were family; not just to you, but to me too. I may not have known them for long, but Megan was already calling me a big brother. That meant a lot to me, Mia. What meant just as much to me was the fact that both of them made me realize how I feel about you. Those two grew close to my heart in just a couple of days. I lost a piece of myself the day they died, too."  
  
"Isaac, I. . ." She paused. "Thank you." Isaac smiled warmly, and gazed into the night sky. The clearing gave them a good view of the stars, which glimmered brightly in the skies above. He reclined back onto the grassy ground and stared directly up at them. Mia followed, resting her head on his shoulder. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"  
  
"The stars or you?" He replied.  
  
"Subtle, aren't we?" Mia asked, warmly. "I was referring to the stars, Isaac."  
  
"Yes, they are. . . I remember when Garet and I were really young, we used to want to journey out to the stars, find out what lies out there. We wanted to fly to the stars so badly."  
  
"Was that a dream of yours?"  
  
"When I was young and more naïve. Now, merely seeing them is enough for me; and seeing them with someone close is much better."  
  
"Isaac. . . what will we do after our journeys are ended, and we've left Imil behind us?"  
  
"That could be a long time away, Mia."  
  
"I know, but what would you want to do then?"  
  
"I don't know; maybe settle down someplace. Maybe continue exploring. I started my travels searching for my destiny, and I still haven't found what fate has in store. Perhaps I'll know someday, just not today. Though destiny hasn't been kind in the past, it has dealt me one card that can trump anything they can throw at me."  
  
"Isaac, please. . . you're making me blush." Mia stated, truthfully. "I'm surprised the others haven't figured out about us yet."  
  
"Dargon at least knows. I'll bet Ivan knows too; him and his mind- reading."  
  
"How did Dargon figure it out?"  
  
"Remember the crossbow bolt. . .?"  
  
"Oh, yes. . ." She replied. Isaac could swear he could feel Mia's face grow warmer, but he couldn't be sure. Isaac said nothing further, rather he just gazed forth into the heavens, and he eventually lapsed into a deep, and restful slumber. 


	17. Passion's Flames

Dargon sheathed his sword and turned away from the slew of zombies he had just defeated; each one looked like one of Vale's citizens. Disgusted, he turned to Felix, who, while still looking about the same as he normally did, was obviously saddened by his people's rather unfortunate transformation.  
  
"Hey, are you okay, Felix?" Dargon asked.  
  
"Huh? I'm fine." He shortly replied. "Let's just find Isaac." He said, stamping off. Felix knew something was wrong; it wasn't like Isaac to stomp off on his own, and he'd done so twice in less than a month. More disturbing still was the transformation of the people of Vale into zombies. . . he knew of nothing that could do such a thing, because only tormented souls of the damned would rise again in the same body they once lived in; only the most evil of people could turn into zombies without some curse acting on them. Figuring the plague of Vale was a curse, Felix puzzled to remember where he'd remembered hearing about the curse of the dead. After thinking for a few moments, the memory hit him like a ton of bricks.  
  
*******************************  
  
"Felix, take a good look at this town." Saturos said, pointing from a cliff at a small hamlet in the middle of an open plain. It was calm and peaceful, with smokes rising from the stacks of each house. Felix could swear he saw children playing in the streets, while many adults hustled and bustled to get here and there.  
  
"What about it?" Felix replied.  
  
"This town has stood in our way in the past as we tried to cross through here. Now, we must pass through it again."  
  
"Won't they just attack you?"  
  
"That's the beauty of it; they will." The Mars Adept smiled.  
  
"And, why would this be a good thing, Saturos?"  
  
"Because, they will not know what hit them; I have an ace up my sleeve." Saturos replied, drawing his bastard sword. The Mars Adept removed a small rune from his pocket and held it up to Felix. "If I insert this rune into my sword, I will be able to harness the power of death itself. Each person I strike with its magical powers shall meet with Death, but his body shall not. Felix, with this weapon we can completely eradicate anyone who stands in our way."  
  
"Saturos, normally I'd be tempted to agree, but if that rune does what you're implying, it might have some unforeseen repercussions. Meddling with the dead is not a mortal's business, my friend."  
  
"I see you fail to see the potential here, Felix."  
  
"I don't fail to see that, Saturos; I just also see the dangers of using a rune such as that. It's probably cursed." Felix returned, annoyed. Saturos scoffed at the Venus Adept. Why he had rescued him three years before he couldn't remember. The boy was far from a visionary. The determined Saturos placed the rune in the hilt of his sword, and a dark energy engulfed the entire blade. Now instead of being a shiny silver like a normal sword, the blade more resembled obsidian stone. Black, smooth, and shiny. Saturos' massive blade was frightening enough with its length alone; how the Adept could hold it in one hand was beyond most minds.  
  
"Come, Felix. We shall see the power of the magic of my blade. Menardi, Alex! We're moving out!" Saturos shouted back to his companions, who were grudgingly cleaning up camp. "We're off to have some fun."  
  
"Good, I was getting bored." Menardi stated, picking up her scythe. Alex picked up his staff and followed without saying a word. "So, it's that village again? I take it you're going to be using the Deth Rune in your sword?"  
  
"Of course." Saturos smiled to his fellow Mars Adept. "Let's go. I want to give the people here a little treat." Saturos began walking down the hill and toward the town. The others followed, naturally. When they reached the town limits about ten minutes later, they were greeted by the local militia, who was less than thrilled to see them. Two score of men stand waiting, swords drawn and shields up.  
  
"Surrender. We don't allow strangers here."  
  
"We just seek to pass." Alex said. "Nothing more."  
  
"Did I stutter, blue boy?"  
  
"No, but I think you had a bit of a lisp." Saturos replied, smirking at the militiamen, egging them on to fight. Some of the men stepped forward, seeking to challenge the man. One actually charged in for an attack, but Saturos was quick with the block and pushed the pathetic swordsman out of the way. The man was irritated now and quickly pushed back for an attack. Saturos deflected the attack again and instead of merely dodging, he slammed the sword into the man's abdomen. Stunned, his comrades watched in horror as Saturos merely kicked his cadaver off the blade of his sword.  
  
"You. . . You killed him! You. . ."  
  
"SILENCE!" Saturos shouted. "There's more." He said, pointing to the cadaver. Then the men watched intently; the man's body seemed to decay rapidly, until the poor man was scarcely recognizable. Finally, the man stood back on his feet, skin flaking off his body in various places, and turned on his former comrades. The men, taken by this action of the necromancer-like raising of the dead, stood stunned, until the zombie murdered another of their group. He slowly arose like his comrade, dead and lifeless. Saturos now leapt forward and began slaying the militiamen two at a time, turning each of them into monsters with one touch of his sword. The newly made reanimated hordes of undead slowly began to move into the town, where screams of horror and pain were heard. Saturos and the others, who remained at the gate, stood and watched the carnage.  
  
"Well done, Saturos. Though you best should remove that rune from your sword, lest you deplete its power." Menardi warned.  
  
"Ah, I believe you're correct, Menardi." Saturos replied, removing the tiny stone from the handle of his sword. The blade instantly returned to its original shiny state; the rune promptly returned to Saturos's pocket. "This has been fun." He stated, evilly watching the people of the town run this way and that, screaming blue bloody murder about the zombies. "It's this kind of moment that I live for. The chaos, the destruction, the fear. It's perfect." Felix frowned behind his mask; this kind of chaos was uncalled for. They simply could've passed around the town and ignored it all together and avoided all of this trouble.  
  
"So Felix, do you understand now?" Saturos asked.  
  
"More than I ever cared to know, Saturos. More than I ever cared." He firmly stated.  
  
"Good. One should always know more than he cares; this makes him crafty. Now then, let's move on. I want to reach Vale in less than a month. If we continue to move at this pace we should be able to make it. I want to have a word with this Kraden fellow."  
  
**************************  
  
"Hey, Felix? Earth to Felix?" Dargon's voice shattered Felix's memory and brought him back to life.  
  
"What is it, Dargon?"  
  
"You were thinking, weren't you? You know who did this, don't you?" Dargon pushed.  
  
"Indeed I do, but their identities are not important until we find Isaac."  
  
***************************  
  
"How could this have happened?" Garet asked, walking through the streets, despairing at every sight of destruction. "Who did this, anyway?" Garet glanced down at some of the dead; they had been fellow Adepts who had trained in the arts of their element, but they obviously weren't enough. Each person was butchered brutally; their bodies devastated. Garet turned around to look at Jenna, who was trailing him by a couple of yards. He looked upon her, scrutinizing her carefully. The whites of her eyes were now a bloodshot red; she'd been crying very much. Who could blame her? She looked absolutely distraught, much like Isaac was after the loss of his mother. "Jenna? Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine." She answered shortly.  
  
"Now that's a lie I'd expect from Isaac: A bad one."  
  
"Garet, don't poke fun!"  
  
"I'm not; I was being serious. Come here." Garet said, pointing in front of him. Jenna didn't move. "Fine, I'm coming over there." He executed what he stated after he ended his statement. Jenna was very upset and looked awful; as bad as the day the boulder claimed her whole family. Garet rested a hand on his friend's shoulder before he continued. "Jenna, I know this is hard on you; it's been hard on all of us. I wish there was more that we could've done too, but there wasn't anything else to be done. I want you to know that I'm here for you whenever you need me, no matter what it's for. And if you can't talk to me, talk to Isaac or Ivan. They'd be more than happy to listen too."  
  
"Garet, you may be an idiot sometimes, but you sure can say the right things." Jenna smiled. "Thank you."  
  
"Hey, what are big oafs for?" Garet returned, smiling broadly. "Now, let's go find Isaac." He turned and marched ahead down the street. The stench of brimstone had more or less faded, though the stench of burned wood and flesh remained. The houses were now more or less burned out. All that was left of them was their outer skeletons. He gazed forth around the horizon, trying to guess where Isaac had disappeared to.  
  
"GARET!" Jenna's voice called. Garet spun on his toes and saw Jenna struggling to keep a zombie from biting her throat. The creature had caught onto her shoulders and managed to knock her staff away from her. Jenna was using both her hands to try to push the zombie away, but it looked like the undead horror would win out in a will of strength.  
  
"Jenna!" Garet shouted, lunging forward at the zombie, punching it in the head with all of his might. The ghoul released Jenna and staggered back several feet, and just as it recovered, it met with the pointy end of the Swift Sword. The creature fell limp around the blade, and Garet pushed the body off with his foot and turned back to his friend. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine." She replied, quietly. "Thank you, Garet. . ."  
  
"Is something wrong, Jenna?"  
  
"No, nothing's wrong." She said, picking up her Angelic Ankh. "Everything's fine."  
  
"You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"  
  
"I've nothing to hide."  
  
"Then tell me why you're acting like this. It's not like you at all." Garet demanded, walking next to her.  
  
"Well, I'm trying to think of how to say this. . ." Jenna replied, turning away.  
  
"Say what?!" Garet demanded again, beginning to lose his patience.  
  
"To hell with it." Jenna said, spinning around. She grabbed Garet and kissed him adoringly. Stunned, Garet wasn't sure exactly what to do. His mind raced everywhere at once, surprised by Jenna's sudden move. After she stopped, she looked directly into his red eyes. "Does that answer your question, Garet?"  
  
"Um, uh. . ." He mumbled.  
  
"I thought so." Jenna smiled. Garet continued his babbling for a few moments before he finally regained his composure.  
  
"Jenna," Garet said quietly. "how long have you been keeping this from me?"  
  
"A couple of years now, Garet. It just never was the right time. . ."  
  
"I always thought you were irritated with me; I mean, you've been pretty critical. . ."  
  
"Only because I care. Maybe I was just confused about my emotions. . . Speaking of which, if I may inquire as to your feelings, Garet?" Jenna asked. Garet's face blushed quickly and heavily; his epidermis resembled the color of his irises. It took him awhile to speak.  
  
"I've felt the same way, though I didn't know how to say it to you; I always thought you had something for Isaac."  
  
"I guess I did for awhile; I was torn. Both of you were so kind and caring, but I've always leaned toward you, Garet. My feelings became fully clear after I saw how Mia looked at Isaac after the siege of Imil. It was plain to me that she loved him deeply, and I was sure Isaac felt the same way; when Mia ran off to find him tonight I knew I was correct. Plus, I saw a little of myself when looking at Mia; she was in love with someone deeply; something I felt, but wasn't to grips with."  
  
"So, you're saying Isaac and Mia. . ." Garet smirked. "Oh, I'm going to have some fun with this."  
  
"And he's going to have a lot of fun when he finds out about you and I, Garet. I wouldn't mess with him; you know he'd beat you if you two ever got into a duel."  
  
"Yeah, well. . . I still can tease him about it."  
  
"Yes, you can." Jenna smiled. "Though I want in on it too."  
  
"Done." Garet replied, smiling. He was glad not only to see that Jenna seemed like she would recover from the loss of Vale, but that he wasn't alone in his feeling of love. Garet had always had a crush on Jenna, even when he was younger; the Mars Adept had never gotten over it. His thoughts turned to Isaac; come to think of it, he and Mia always seemed close, even when they first met. It was a real head-slapper that he didn't figure it out sooner. His mind quit wandering when Jenna hugged him strongly; she had quite a grip, that's for sure. "Let's go find our group's other set of lovebirds, Garet. No telling how much trouble they've gotten into." 


	18. Schwartz Noch

"So, if you don't mind my asking, just who are you, Sheba?" Triad asked, curious about the newcomer.  
  
"I don't mind. As you already know, I'm a Jupiter Adept, and I come from the town of Lalivero. There's really not much else you need to know."  
  
"Jeez, a mystery wrapped in an enigma. I thought Felix was bad."  
  
"Felix is here?" She asked, keeping her face objective.  
  
"Yes, he's helped us along."  
  
"I expected as such." Sheba's eyes turned to the bushes behind her. "We've company. Draw your weapons." She said, whipping out her staff. Ivan quickly drew his Ankh and Triad had his crystal sword in hand before Sheba had even finished her sentence. "Show yourself." Sheba stated. A bolt of lightning was the answer to her demand, but she was able to dodge it. "Suit yourself." She said, casting Plasma on the bushes, forcing the creature into view.  
  
The creature was a skeleton, wrapped in a black robe. The robe itself had markings in an archaic language, scripted in gold around the edges of the sleeves, the bottom, and around the hood. The hood was open, and in place of eyes, there glowed two glowing purple spheres inside the skull of the skeleton. It's boned hands glowed with the same shining color, as another blast of lightning shot forward.  
  
"What the hell is that?!" Triad shouted, dodging the lightning bolt.  
  
"That's a lich, Triad; an undead spellcaster. Somehow that creature can use Psynergy even after death." Ivan answered. "Let's see if it can take what it dishes out." Ivan raised his arm to the sky, and several bolts of lightning struck down upon the lich, knocking him back a couple of feet, but no real damage seemed to befall him. The lich's expression, though unchanged, seemed to reflect a great deal more anger now. The lich raised its own arm, and a blast of Shine Plasma tore through the hero ranks. Ivan was hit the hardest, because he was at the epicenter of the attack. All three of the heroes were sent flying several feet back.  
  
"Ouch! That really freaking hurt!" Triad exclaimed leaping to his feet. "Ivan, that was one of your moves, wasn't it?"  
  
"Yes. Watch out, he's at it again!" Ivan responded. Triad leapt away as the lich let loose with a Whirlwind near him. The winds cut through Triad's cape, but did little else to the agile warrior. Sheba casted Storm Ray on the undead lich, but the creature simply shrugged off the blast. As the creature lifted his arm to cast his next spell, but his arm was promptly sheared off by a crystal blade. The lich looked at his missing limb, and gazed angrily at Triad. The creature raised his other arm into Triad's face and proceeded to cast Delude on him. As Triad gazed into the dark light that enveloped him, he began seeing countless spirits surrounding his mind, deluding his eyes and spirit.  
  
"What the hell?! Show yourself, coward!" Triad exclaimed, swinging his sword wildly at nothing. "I got you now, lich!" He shouted, shoving his crystal blade into the trunk of a nearby tree. Ivan and Sheba stared at Triad, whom was ranting and raving wildly, not actually doing anything useful or intelligent. Ivan leapt forward with his Ankh and smashed the lich in the side of the head. The creature's head flew right off his spine and into the brush nearby. Thinking he had been victorious, Ivan stepped back and loosened his grip on his Ankh. Suddenly, the lich began glowing an intense purple, and the arm and the head that had been separated were drawn back and reattached to its body. It lunged forward, knocking Ivan off his feet and sending his staff flying from his hands. The staff, flying through the air, hit Sheba squarely in the face, knocking her to the ground in a daze. The lich prepared to make a final and decisive blow on the male Jupiter Adept, but was halted by a random and completely fluked swing of a crystal sword.  
  
"I think I got you that time, lich!" Triad shouted into space, apparently still confused by the spirits haunting him. The skeletal mage turned to Triad, whose back was now turned while slicing at the air in front of him. "Take that, you abomination!" The lich snorted at him, realizing Triad was just a chicken whose head had been cut off. His distraction to the confused inventor allowed Ivan sufficient time to strike with his recovered Blessed Ankh, shattering the lich's rib cage. Surprised, but not defeated, the lich's eyes burned furiously purple, and he let loose a Tornado attack, sending Ivan flying into a tree trunk, and knocking him senseless. Sheba, who had also been caught in the zephyr of wind, was flung into a large patch of bramble bushes. Her anguished cry of pain echoed throughout the wooded area.  
  
"Sheba?!" Triad shouted, in confusion. "Ivan, where the hell are you guys?!" The muddled warrior called, still winging his sword about like an idiot. He stepped closer to where he thought was where Sheba had called out from, but he ran into an obstacle along the way. Moving quickly, he jabbed forward with his weapon, sending the lich flying ahead of him. Keeping his nonsensical attack pressed, he charged the skeleton at full tilt, swiping it constantly until he could feel the bones of the creature shatter into a hundred little pieces. Finally, his vision returned to normal, and no further spirits haunted him. He shook his head violently, only to notice the defeated lich lying at his feet, the colored light vanished from its eyes. "Wow! I did that?! Cool. Hey, Ivan! Check it out!" He said, calling to his friend. He waited a moment, and without a response, he turned back and saw his friend sitting limp beneath a tree.  
  
"Ivan!" He called out. He remembered Sheba's cry at that moment, and he ran over there to investigate. She was now pulling herself from the sticker bush, her arms and legs covered with scratches and her clothes torn and tattered in places. "Are you okay, Sheba? You're not too badly hurt?"  
  
"No, I'm fine, Triad. Where's Ivan?" She replied, objective tone still in her voice.  
  
"He's over here. Come on." He said, helping her the rest of the way out of the thorns. Sheba rushed over to Ivan, and pried open one of his eyelids.  
  
"He's going to be out cold for awhile. Looks like he got hit pretty bad."  
  
"We'd best carry him back to Vale then; Mia can help him whenever she gets back." Triad replied, picking up his small friend's frame and lifting him to chest level. "Jeez, for someone so small, he sure weighs a ton!" Sheba smiled.  
  
"Ivan could eat quite a bit when he wanted to. Normally he showed restraint, but there were a couple of times in Lemuria when he ate enough to feed an army."  
  
"That's something I'd expect from Garet."  
  
"Me too. Though Garet still eats his weight every day, am I correct?"  
  
"To a fashion; do you mean in or out of Dargon's full plate armor?"  
  
"Dargon?"  
  
"Never mind. I forgot you haven't met him yet. He wears a full suit of plate armor that's really heavy; I was just thinking about adding that weight to Garet's already huge girth."  
  
"The knight from Imil, correct?" Sheba replied. Triad's face turned pale. The color returned a moment later.  
  
"Hey! Stop reading my mind! Besides, we need to get Ivan back to Vale."  
  
"Yes, you're right." Sheba replied. They moved quickly back through the town, not finding hide or hair of Mia or Isaac. "That's odd. I'd imagine they'd be back by now." Sheba said. "I hope Ivan's going to be okay." A look of deep-rooted concern flashed over her somehow still objective face. She quickly changed the subject. "Triad, may I inquire about your sword?"  
  
"Surely. It's a crystal sword handed down through my family and it has found its way to me. My father once claimed it could never be broken."  
  
"That explains why it didn't shatter when you rammed it into a tree."  
  
"That's right. . . wait. I rammed it into a TREE?!"  
  
"When the thing had you confused, yes."  
  
"Damn! Will I ever cease to make a fool out of myself?!"  
  
"No." She smiled. Her smile quickly faded when she looked down at the injured Ivan. The look of extreme concern returned to her face. Triad caught sight of this, and paused before quietly saying something.  
  
"Forgive me for being blunt and outright, but. . ."  
  
"I know what you're getting at, Triad Orion, and yes." She replied softly.  
  
"It was just the look in your eye when you saw him hurt. . ."  
  
"Yes. . . I do love him, Triad. He was willing to sacrifice something he held dear to him to save my life and he ended up later saving me from an Adept named Alex. He was most kind to me after that; perhaps the kindest person I know." Sheba whispered.  
  
"Have you told him? Or anyone else for that matter?"  
  
"Ivan knows; we've felt the same way since we left the Jupiter Lighthouse months ago. . . I wanted to stay with him, but I had to go to my home and he to his. Aside from that, you're the first to figure it out."  
  
"I saw the same look in your eyes as Mia's whenever she looks at Isaac. That's how I knew for hard fact."  
  
"Well, you're quick on the draw, at least; no one else has said a word."  
  
"But I'm still an idiot, right?" Triad smiled.  
  
"Yes, you are." She replied to his joke.  
  
***************************************  
  
Dargon turned sharply and suddenly as he heard the caw of a bird; taken off guard, he drew his faithful sword and faced his opponent: a raven. Dargon instantly sheathed his sword, and the raven landed on his left shoulder and began preening its dull black feathers. Felix stared at the sight in surprise.  
  
"Just what in the name of Venus is that?" "This bird is my pet raven, Dante. He's a really smart bird, you know. He must have just arrived from Imil."  
  
"Why a raven of all birds? Why not a falcon or a hawk? They can actually hunt and scare away enemies."  
  
"Because ravens are smarter. Dante here's smarter than any hawk or falcon I've ever seen; he's pretty loyal, too."  
  
"What's so special about him?"  
  
"Felix!" cawed the raven, nothing more. The caw was distinctly birdlike, yet the word 'Felix' was said nearly plain as day. It was if the raven knew its abilities were being questioned, and he stood up for himself.  
  
"He can speak, to an extent." Dargon replied. Felix looked surprised; something unusual for the well-traveled warrior. He'd only seen tropical birds talk, and that was only once. This was nothing more than a common raven, and he could speak names in his caws. Dargon's bird was indeed more than your normal bird. "He's a great set of eyes; he's a great scout."  
  
"Can he help us find Isaac and Mia?"  
  
"Actually, yes. Dante knows Mia quite well, so he should know what to look for." Dargon replied. He turned to his raven. "Dante, find Mia and come back." The raven cocked his head at the order, and then leapt into flight after preening its final flight feather. The tiny black bird bolted off into the west, searching for any sign of the blue-haired Mercury Adept. "That bird is so great."  
  
"Enough about the raven, Dargon. We need to get back to searching."  
  
**********************************  
  
Isaac's eyes opened slowly into the overcast morning sky. The dawn had arrived moments before, but the cloud cover made the sunrise more obscure than normal. He picked his head up slightly, to see Mia sleeping softly on his shoulder while wrapping him in a warm embrace at the same time. Despite his lack of his normal clothing, he was warm; partially because of the now dying fire and Mia's body heat. He smiled at Mia's peaceful expression and laid his head back against the ground. Even after everything he had lost, he felt as though he hadn't lost everything, thanks to her. She always knew exactly how to make him feel better; how to get by his losses. The loss of his mother, though she didn't know it, had been softened by her kindness and care. The loss of Megan and Justin was healed somewhat in the fact that she needed him as much as he needed her; a strange way to cope, but it had worked. The loss of Vale, the town closest to his heart, was comforted by her calm and loving reassurance. While he would never get over the loss of his mother or his hometown, Mia's presence had certainly saved his sanity. . . who knows where he'd be now if it wasn't for her. All of this, and Mia still lauded Isaac as the hero, and the one who was always there for everyone; if there was one thing Isaac couldn't stand about Mia, it was that. Isaac wanted Mia to know how much she had done for everyone, yet she always managed some way to push the congratulations back on to him. He always ended up with the celebrations in his honor and everything else too, for that matter; albeit he was always reluctant to make his appearances at whatever the occasion. Even with Mia's one flaw, which to most wouldn't have been one, she was perfect.  
  
Suddenly, the caw of a bird got his attention. He'd slept the whole night, and he now fully understood the fact that he was in a new day. He gazed at a nearby bush, where upon the top branch, perched a lone, black bird. The magpie studied Isaac carefully, scrutinizing every detail about his character. Isaac stared back at the strange creature; no raven had ever acted like this before. Before he could move, the creature opened its beak and let out a loud caw. Startled, Isaac waited before shifting his weight; he'd thought he had heard words from the beak of the creature.  
  
"Felix!" The bird cawed loudly. "Dargon!" It cawed again, the word sewn into the calls of a bird. Isaac gawked at the strange magpie, knowing in an instant that the words were intentional and not coincidental. This creature must have had some purpose in seeking him out. He remembered Dargon commenting about a pet raven shortly after the siege of Imil, but he wasn't sure if this was it or not. Whatever the case was, the bird made no other sounds, save for the ruffling of its dark feathers. It continued staring at him for the longest of time. Was this an omen? Or was it a message from the others? Isaac couldn't tell; he couldn't get up and look at the raven any closer without stirring Mia. It turned out, it didn't matter much anyway.  
  
Mia began moving slowly, and she yawned lightly and quietly. Her cerulean eyes opening slowly, catching the direct gaze of Isaac's. "I can't imagine a better way to wake up than this." Mia said, sleepily. Isaac made no reply, but rather hugged her closely. "Maybe we should get lost in the woods more often, Isaac."  
  
"Maybe we should." He replied, forgetting about the black bird scrutinizing him from behind. "We should best be moving. No telling how worried the others are." Isaac suggested. The Mercury Adept on his shoulder slowly rose, as he did too. Isaac turned to get his over-clothes, which by now had mostly dried out, and pulled them back on. Mia slipped on her sets of robes, and she looked at Isaac.  
  
"How are we going to explain this to the others? You'll never hear the end of it from Garet. . ."  
  
"We'll tell them the truth; besides, while he's giving me a hard time, he'll get his one day. That's enough payback for me." He smiled.  
  
"Dargon!" The raven cawed again.  
  
"What was that?" Mia asked, searching for the source.  
  
"It was that raven, right over there." Isaac replied, pointing at the black magpie.  
  
"Ah, that must be Dante, Dargon's pet raven. Looks like he found us out here. I think he'll guide us back to Vale when we're ready to go."  
  
"Can we really trust a bird?"  
  
"The thing is smart enough to talk and to find two people in an area that was unlikely to have any at all. I'd say the bird is pretty intelligent, Isaac." Mia replied. "Let's go." Mia smiled, moving close to the raven, which immediately took flight into the sky. Isaac and Mia followed intently, keeping the raven's relatively slow pace with ease. They followed it for about twenty minutes, before finally emerging back into what once was the town of Vale. In the town square, they found the rest of the Adepts, sleeping soundly. The raven quickly flew over to the motionless Dargon and let out a loud caw into his ear.  
  
"AAAH!" Dargon shouted, coming out of a deep sleep. He looked on his shoulder. "Damn it, Dante, I've told you not to do that! I thought you were smart enough to know better!"  
  
"I told you he was just a stupid bird." Felix muttered, half asleep nearby.  
  
"If he's so stupid, how did he find us, Felix?" Isaac asked. The raven- haired warrior shot up from his reclined position to see Isaac and Mia standing nearby. The Venus Adept had his arms folded, and wore an expression of neutrality.  
  
"Isaac?" Felix asked, unsure if what he was seeing was a phantom or not. "Looks like you're okay."  
  
"Just fine. Let's wake the others." Isaac said, walking over to Garet. He quickly, but lightly, kicked him in the side, sending the Mars Adept flying forward in surprise. "Wake up, Garet!"  
  
"What?! I didn't do it!" Garet shouted, before turning to face his friend. "Damn it, Isaac, I told you I hate that!" He stood up, dwarfing his friend and leader. "Where the hell have you been?!"  
  
"I've been out figuring out who did this, that's what!" The others were slowly stirring back to life, and they all stood from their sleeping bags, yawning and waking up. "Come on you guys, this is important!"  
  
"What is it, Isaac?" Jenna yawned sleepily.  
  
"Yes, inform me." Ivan said, arising from his sleeping bag, a large bandage strapped on his head. It looked like he'd got hurt pretty well.  
  
"Five more minutes. . ." Triad whined, standing up slowly.  
  
"Shut up, Triad." Dargon muttered to him.  
  
"Well, what do you have to say, Isaac?" Felix asked after everyone had arisen.  
  
"I know who did this to Vale."  
  
"Who was it?" Sheba inquired.  
  
"Saturos, Menardi, and Edward Giles."  
  
"Saturos?! Menardi?! Isaac, don't play around like that!" Garet shouted in surprise. "They're dead! We killed them, remember?!"  
  
"They're not dead, Garet. At least, not any more."  
  
"Edward's in on it?!" Dargon shouted. "Damn him! I knew it!" "Who's Edward Giles?" Jenna asked, curiously.  
  
"He was the mayor of Imil; he abandoned us during the siege of the centaur on Imil! I'll bet my armor it was him who burned the ammunition!" Dargon cursed.  
  
"You'd win that one, Dargon." Isaac replied, solemnly. "He was trying to sell us out to the centaur and take the power of Mercury for himself."  
  
"That swine!" Felix muttered.  
  
"But are you sure it was Saturos and Menardi that did this to Vale?" Ivan asked, just to be sure.  
  
"He speaks the truth, Ivan. I know. . . Saturos has a special rune he can put into his sword that turns people into zombies; he used it on a village before we came to returned to Vale."  
  
"That explains the rumors we heard about an entire village disappearing about a month before the Sanctum incident then!" Jenna piped in. "But, now what do we do?"  
  
"They still want the Mars Star, so they must still seek to light the Mars Lighthouse. They made no other threats to anyone else." Mia stated. "Other than that, we have no idea where or what they're seeking."  
  
"I'll tell you where they're going." Felix said. "Saturos once spoke of an orb capable of draining the spirit out of a person and allowing it to be used for all sorts of purposes. I believed he called it the Anubus Orb. The orb can also be used to 'cheat the reaper' as Saturos once put it. I'm not sure exactly what it meant, but I know it can't be good. He spoke of that orb as his contingency plan if he couldn't light the lighthouses. . . sadly, the orb lies in a cave right near the Mars Lighthouse. The cave itself is said to be the gateway to Hell, so many have deemed it the Devil's Cave. If Saturos and Menardi get a hold of the orb, it could mean the end of humanity as we know it."  
  
"How can one stupid orb do that much?" Triad asked.  
  
"Because, the bearer of the orb can choose what to do with the spirit of the drained, whether it be to use it to boost their own power or to send it to the heavens above, or even worse. . ." Felix stated. "The orb's true power is yet to be discerned, but we have to beat them there!"  
  
"But the Mars Lighthouse lies across the ocean! How do we get there?" Sheba asked.  
  
"We'll go by boat. I'm sure Babi will be happy to lend us his Lemurian ship again." Mia replied.  
  
"I'd rather not go back to Tolbi, if I can avoid it." Sheba remarked.  
  
"Why? What's wrong with it?" Triad asked. "Tolbi's my hometown! Don't go knocking the place!"  
  
"That's where I was held hostage the first time, Triad. Babi placed me under house arrest to make sure the work on Babi Lighthouse proceeded as planned." Triad took a step back, obviously taken aghast by this newly learned fact. That must've meant the rumors of oppression by Tolbi in neighboring cities were true.  
  
"What? Babi actually did that?! Had I've known, I wouldn't have been working for him!" Triad replied, speaking the words truthfully.  
  
"You work for Babi?" Mia asked.  
  
"I used to. . . he was who I was inventing for originally, and that's where my flying machine is right now; in Tolbi! Well, I have a few choice words for Lord Babi now. . ." Triad put a rather unhealthy emphasis on the word 'lord'. Obviously, he wasn't too pleased to hear news about his supposed 'kind and just' ruler of Tolbi. Though he had always been suspicious of Babi most of his life, he couldn't prove anything. He'd been loyal to Tolbi, though not to Babi; he only worked for him because Babi paid exceptionally well. Considering his new findings, he was glad he never completed his flying machine.  
  
"Calm yourself, Triad. No good will come of anger." Sheba replied.  
  
"Wait, Felix, you said the Anubus Orb was located near the Mars Lighthouse. If Saturos and Menardi knew about it, why didn't they go get it before?" Garet inquired.  
  
"I'm not sure. They said it was their contingency plan; I'm not sure myself why they didn't get it when they had the chance." Felix returned. "There must be some reason."  
  
"Whatever the case may be, we don't have time to play games. Let's head for Tolbi and get Babi's ship and get to the Devil's Cave." Isaac stated. "We don't have any time to waste. Pack up, and pack light. We must move quickly to get there first." General consensus was easily reached, and each of the heroes quickly packed what they could and were prepared to leave. "Very well then. Next stop, Tolbi." 


	19. To Err is Human

Isaac sighed in relief as he entered the gates of Tolbi; it had been almost two weeks since they left the destroyed Vale and every one of his companions were suffering from exhaustion. A two-week pilgrimage from Vale to Tolbi was a very quick pace for warriors without the aid of a caravan, which was they many warriors traveled when they needed to get somewhere fast.  
  
"I'm so glad we're here at last. . ." Mia sighed in relief.  
  
"Yeah, I could use a nice feather bed. . ." Dargon muttered, his armor creaking at the joints because of dust contamination. "I need a smith to polish and oil my armor too!"  
  
"I'm hungry." Garet whined, as his stomach growled so loud someone in Lunpa could here it.  
  
"It's good to be home." Triad sighed, happy to see his hometown much like he left it. "So, what do we do first, Isaac?"  
  
"We rest first, then we'll speak with Babi about the ship." Isaac ordered. His face and hair were full of dust; there had been a sandstorm on the way to Tolbi, and most of the adventurers were covered in the fine sands of the desert.  
  
"Yeah, I could really use a bath right about now. . ." Jenna sighed, brushing thousands of coarse grains of sand from her hair. "That sandstorm was something else." Felix spat before he replied.  
  
"Yeah, well, at least you didn't swallow any of it."  
  
"That's something I'd really expect from Garet, Felix." Ivan smiled.  
  
"Shut up, Ivan!" Garet and Felix shouted at the same time.  
  
"I think we could all use baths after what happened out there. . . being attacked by Hellhounds the whole time was not my idea of a good day." Sheba said, mildly upset without changing her even tone at all.  
  
"I agree." Mia sighed, brushing sand from her robes.  
  
"Aw, that storm was nothing." Triad smiled. "You should've seen the one here three years ago, the whole town was covered! Think of it as Imil in a blizzard only with sand."  
  
"It's easy for you, Triad! You've lived here most of your life!" Garet returned, shaking sand out of his hair. "I've got sand in places I didn't even know I had!"  
  
"Like in your empty head?" Jenna asked, poking fun.  
  
"That's one place." Garet smiled in return.  
  
"Well, if we all want stuff, why are we still standing around here like a pack of idiots? Let's go." Isaac asked, as he walked into town. "We should probably get cleaned up before we pay a visit to Babi."  
  
"It wouldn't be a bad idea." Mia agreed.  
  
"It doesn't matter." Triad said. "Babi wouldn't care one way or another, considering you're the ones who brought him his draught and I'm the one who used to work for him. He'd actually prefer us going straight to him instead of lollygaging around here in Tolbi."  
  
"It's not polite, Triad." Ivan reminded his friend of his manners. He'd been having to do that quite frequently lately. "Besides, being cleaned up would make a good impression."  
  
"You already saved the man's life, what more impression can you make on him? By winning Colosso?!"  
  
"Well actually, I already did that." Isaac responded, truthfully. Triad turned, obviously stunned.  
  
"So YOU were the underdog everyone was talking about a year or so back?! Go figure I had to be in Kalay on an errand at the time! Damn, I would've like to seen you win that!"  
  
"It wasn't much to see."  
  
"What are you kidding Isaac?! You beat the stuffing out of a guy three times your size!" Garet exclaimed as they continued walking through the city. "It definitely was something to see!"  
  
"You were quite impressive, Isaac." Ivan stated.  
  
"I remember it quite well." Sheba replied, whom actually was at the finals.  
  
"You gave us all quite a scare at the end of the tournament, though." Mia smiled. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone sleep that soundly; I don't even think Garet ever did."  
  
"Oh great. I miss two really unusual things in one tournament! Dammit!" Triad muttered.  
  
"Whoa, what's this Colosso thing, anyway?" Dargon asked, as they walked into Tolbi's inn.  
  
"It's a tournament where the best fighters in the world compete for title of Champion. The trials are rough, the matches are brutal, and the opponents are even worse. You have to be strong, cunning, and smart to win." Garet replied. "Isaac was all of those things that day."  
  
"Come on guys, stop already." Isaac muttered, not wanting any more praise. He turned to the innkeeper. "How many rooms do you have?"  
  
"We only have four left; one triple occupancy, three doubles. Do you want them?"  
  
"Yeah. We'll take them." Isaac said, forking over nearly 250 coins for the rooms. He took each of the four keys and prepared to pass them out. "You girls will sleep in the triple suite, while the rest of us will pair off into rooms, okay? Ok, who is with who?"  
  
"I don't care." Felix said.  
  
"Neither do I." Dargon replied.  
  
"Good, you two share a room then; you both don't care." Isaac said, flipping Felix a key. "Ivan, who you staying with?"  
  
"It doesn't matter; I guess I'll stay with Triad, like back in Imil."  
  
"That's fine with me." Triad replied. He caught the key tossed to him by his Venus Adept friend.  
  
"Guess that means you and I are bunking, Garet."  
  
"No duh, Isaac. Come on, I want to get this damned sand out of my hair some time today."  
  
********************************************  
  
"Lord Babi, you have visitors." Iodem stated, walking into Babi's throne room. The throne room was huge and made of stone; elaborately decorated in the finest carpet, art pieces, statues, and pieces of furniture. No expense had been spared when Babi had it built; he obviously had money to spare.  
  
"I'm very busy, Iodem." Babi stated, looking over some paperwork. "I've got to get everything set up for Colosso next month."  
  
"Babi, I think you may wish to see them."  
  
"Iodem, please. I'm busy."  
  
"Guard, send them in!" Iodem shouted. The giant cedar door opened and a huge party of nine walked into the room. "Lord Babi, may I introduce, Isaac and company." Babi's head shot up on the word 'Isaac' and he looked at his guests, including his Colosso champion, his friends, a Jupiter Adept that he remembered holding against her will, and an inventor that had once worked under his flag.  
  
"Ah, Iodem, why didn't you say who they were?! Come in, please! Have a seat!" Babi invited them in happily. "Can I get you anything? A drink? Food perhaps?"  
  
"No, we ate before we came." Isaac replied. "Thank you, though."  
  
"Excuse us, Iodem."  
  
"Of course, lord Babi." Iodem bowed before leaving the room and shutting the doors behind him.  
  
"To what do I owe this honor, my friends?" Babi asked, pleased to see the ones whom saved his life by bringing him the Draught of Life.  
  
"We've come to ask for a favor, Babi. You well remember the people we sought to catch up with our first time through?"  
  
"Yes, I believe you said their names were Saturos and Menardi, correct?"  
  
"You've an excellent memory. Well, they've survived and are now a threat to us again; this time they have another plan in mind."  
  
"Well, what can I do to be of service?"  
  
"We need to borrow your Lemurian ship again; we'll need it to pursue them across the sea to the Mars Lighthouse."  
  
"I see."  
  
"You see, Saturos and Menardi are trying to steal this artifact that could endanger the lives of thousands of people; if they get their hands on it, there's no telling what might happen after they use it."  
  
"I understand. . . so, you wish to use my ship again?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I do owe you a favor, and you did return it in impeccable condition last time. . . I'll tell you what. I'll let you use the ship again, and you can use it for however long you may need it, or even want it. I can't give you the ship as a gift, sadly; my advisors wouldn't have it. Confidentially, I don't care how long you need to use it, just so long as you stop those two from doing any damage. As well, I'll provide you with a full cargo hold of supplies."  
  
"You don't have to. . ."  
  
"Yes, I have to." Babi said, cutting Isaac off. "I can never begin to repay my debt to you, and especially to you, Sheba." Sheba stirred slightly to the comment, but she didn't say anything. "My holding you was dead wrong; and I wish to reconcile with you; I've already compensated your people monetarily, but I still do not feel it is enough. I feel I owe an even deeper debt to you, but I don't know how to repay it."  
  
"You can repay me by never doing such a thing to anyone ever again, Babi. Wealth means nothing to me, and worldly pleasures mean little as well." Sheba replied, evenly and calmly.  
  
"I swear to you on Lunpa's grave." Babi moved his hand over his heart. "Now, I'll have Iodem make the preparations to the ship immediately. You'll be able to leave for wherever you may be going in the morning. We'll have a caravan waiting for you in front of the inn; my finest men will be with you, so you should be able to reach the boat in a day's travel."  
  
"A day?! We had to cross the Suhulla Desert and it took us a week after that to get to your ship before!"  
  
"We found an easier route; it was part of our peace treaty with Lalivero. We set up an easy trade route between the two of us. Now the town can be reached in a matter of a couple of days with a normal caravan, but a fast moving one can get there in less than a sunset. Pack up, I'll have Iodem set up for you."  
  
"Thank you, Babi. Thank you very much." Isaac said, pleased that the ruler of Tolbi had not only changed his ways, but was willing to go out of his way to help him and his friends. Seven of the eight got up to leave, but Triad remained seated. "Um, Triad, are you coming?"  
  
"I'll be with you shortly; I would like to talk to Babi in private." Triad replied, not budging a muscle.  
  
"Well, okay. Come on." Isaac sighed, leaving the room. The others followed behind him, and when the door closed, Babi started the conversation.  
  
"What is it, Triad? Did you want to come back to your old job?"  
  
"No, Babi. My resignation stands. I just want to know a few things."  
  
"Like what, my boy?"  
  
"First of all, why did you want the Babi Lighthouse built? When you had me help design the plans, you never mentioned what it was supposed to do."  
  
"Have Isaac and the others told you about Lemuria?"  
  
"Yes, briefly."  
  
"It was to help me find that island; I needed to find it to save my life."  
  
"And why did you force the citizens of Lalivero into labor for you?"  
  
"I needed to save money at the time, as well as get the construction finished quicker.."  
  
"So it was about commerce that you sold a group of people into variable slavery?"  
  
"You misunderstand, Triad. It wasn't just about commerce; it was about my life too. I'm trying to reconcile my actions."  
  
"I understand that, Babi, but you did something all of your propaganda said you'd never do: hurt someone else. Tell me, why did you have me as chief engineer for Tolbi?"  
  
"Because you had the talent, my boy."  
  
"Tell me this: How come you kept lying to me when it came to what you stood for?! I was following you blindly; which was my fault entirely. Why couldn't you be straight with me on the issues?" Babi didn't respond. "I designed a lot of technology for Tolbi. Tell me, how much of it was turned into weapons of war?" Babi remained silent. "How much of it?"  
  
"Nearly all of it."  
  
"I figured. How many people died because of what I created?" Again, Babi remained silent. "Damn it, how many people did I send to their graves, Babi?! Tell me!" The ruler of Tolbi paused before answering.  
  
"Exactly seven thousand nine hundred and twenty-six people, Triad."  
  
"Did you plan on converting my flying machine into a weapon too?"  
  
"That was its original intention."  
  
"I figured as much. So my career has been nothing but a tool for you to create a bloodbath with. The rocket, the mortar, gunpowder, and even my improved steel-forging techniques. . . all stains on my soul now. I can't believe I was talked into inventing such things. I was hoping my inventions would've bettered mankind; they all did exactly opposite. I'll admit, I was guilty in developing the mortar as a weapon myself; though I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't pushed for. On top of it, I now find out that my pride and joy, the flying machine, was going to be made into a weapon?"  
  
"It was never finished, Triad. The project has been retired, but your prototype remains intact. Triad. . . I'm sorry to have put you through this. . . How can I make it up to you?"  
  
"If you want to make it up me, decommission every weapon I have ever made and put the prototype flying machine on the ship with me. I'll finish my life's work in peace and use it solely for such. I'm sick of killing innocent people with weapons like that. If one must slay, it should be done honorably." Triad said, remembering his use of the mortar on the centaur; though they were bloodthirsty savages, what he did to them was downright despicable. He should've adhered to his own logic and turned them sword for sword, despite the great danger that would've caused.  
  
"Consider it done, Triad. All of those weapons will be decommissioned." Babi said solemnly. Triad nodded and he stood, leaving the room. "Triad." He turned. "I'm sorry." The boy nodded again, and left Babi's chamber for good. 


	20. Maritime Isaac

Isaac stood at the helm of Babi's Lemurian ship, the Black Orb placed neatly on its pedestal. The caravan was as quick as Babi promised, even with Triad's flying machine added to the weight of it all. Isaac was curious as to why the inventor brought the contraption along, but the inventor had been eerily silent since they spoke with Babi the previous afternoon.  
  
His attention was turned to his Mars Adept friend, whom had tripped over the anchor rope for about the sixth time today, nearly dropping the crate of supplies he was carrying. Isaac walked down the stairs to the main deck, where he assisted Garet in picking up the crate.  
  
"Having a little trouble, Garet?" Isaac asked, helping him carry it down to the cargo hold.  
  
"No, I just have never developed my sea legs, that's all."  
  
"In other words, sailing scares you to death?" Dargon asked, whom had already set his cargo crate down.  
  
"No!" Garet snapped back, irritated.  
  
"Jeez, Garet, calm down. What are you complaining about? I've never even seen the ocean up so close before. And this is my first time on a ship, period." Dargon replied, smiling.  
  
"You'll get used to it eventually, Dargon." Isaac said to the landlubbing Imilian. Isaac himself loved the open ocean; it was peaceful and serene, but could also be very unpredictable and dangerous. The Venus Adept may have used ground skills, but this one was fond of the water and the sea breeze. One could wonder that if Isaac liked the sea because it reminded him of the person he loved, or if he just simply enjoyed the sight of the water itself.  
  
"I don't know how you can be so starry-eyed about the ocean, Isaac. We spent a lot of time fighting storms to get to Lemuria, you know! That wasn't exactly my idea of a good time, you know!" Garet replied.  
  
"He's entitled to love the sea if he damn well pleases, Garet!" Jenna shouted down from above at him. Isaac smiled in retort at him after Jenna had let Garet have it. Strange, no matter what Jenna said to Garet, it always seemed to stop him in his tracks. Isaac could've sworn his instincts about the two of them were always correct, but in recent days, it seemed as though he was more right than he ever imagined. The Venus Adept climbed back up to the deck and back to the bridge of the boat, where he looked down to the pier.  
  
"Iodem, is that everything?"  
  
"Yeah, that's the last crate, Isaac. You and the others be careful, and take care of this ship! It's one of a kind, you know!"  
  
"Sure, we can handle it." Isaac waved back down, glancing to the poop deck, where a large tarp covered Triad's flying machine. The inventor was leaning up against it, drinking from a small flask of water, with Ivan standing next to him, talking about something. Isaac rolled his eyes; it was unbelievable. Though he and the others were on a desperate mission to stop Saturos and Menardi from causing chaos and mayhem, they seemed to be quite at ease; on the surface, at least.  
  
"Ready to shove off, Captain?" Mia asked, climbing to the perch of the bridge where Isaac stood.  
  
"Well, if whomever is lookout gets up into the crow's nest. . ." Isaac muttered. "Hey Ivan! Get into the crow's nest and be our lookout!" He shouted across the ship. The Jupiter Adept's head turned after hearing his name, and Isaac could make out a faint nod.  
  
"Yeah, okay. I'll be up there in a minute." Ivan responded, leaving Triad to climb the rope ladders to the top of the mast. The inventor quickly disappeared under the tarp, undoubtedly to work on his project. After Ivan had reached his perch, Isaac gave out a call.  
  
"All hands, prepare to launch! Repeat, all hands, prepare to launch!" Isaac shouted from the perch. "Rise anchor!" Garet and Dargon, upon catching wind of Isaac's call, quickly began cranking the hefty iron anchor from the ocean floor. "All hands, let's set sail!" He exclaimed, placing the palm of his right hand on the Black Orb. The orb began to glow a faint gold color, mimicking the color of the Adept controlling it. The ship slowly pushed its way out of its moor and into the open sea.  
  
"You have a real knack for this, Isaac." Mia said, taking his free hand into hers. "I'd have never guessed you a sailor; not when we first met."  
  
"I would've never guessed it either. I'd never seen the ocean until after I met you and we set sail for the first time." Isaac said, observing Jenna teasing Garet for tripping over the anchor rope again. "Would you look at those two? It's shameless the way they flirt."  
  
"Are they unlike someone else I know?" Mia asked to Isaac.  
  
"Not at all." He smiled. "It's shameless how much we flirt too."  
  
"Ivan and Sheba are a little more careful about their relationship than Garet and Jenna. . . so they're probably the best behaved couple on board this ship."  
  
"Yeah, they are. So, you figured them out too?"  
  
"It was easy enough. . .the look in Sheba's eyes sold her."  
  
"It probably sold you out to the others, too. I'm surprised Garet hasn't given me a hard time about our relationship yet."  
  
"It's because you have more ammo to throw back at him with his coupling with Jenna. The girl's got him wrapped around her little finger. Not that having control is a bad thing, mind you." Mia smiled. "I'm sure you're not unlike him in that sense."  
  
"What? That I'm wrapped around YOUR little finger?" Isaac asked. "Well, if you think that. . . I think you'd be right." He said, kissing her quickly on the forehead. Mia's face blushed slightly, and she paused before continuing in a slightly more sober voice.  
  
"Do you think we could stop Saturos and Menardi if they got their hands on the Anubis Orb?"  
  
"We stopped them when they fused together into that dragon, remember?"  
  
"Yes, but now they may be able to fuse AND steal spirits on top of it. Besides, we don't even know how the Anubis Orb works yet."  
  
"And if we don't get there first, we may figure it out the hard way. I've already set the proper course for the boat, so we can leave it be for the time." He said, drawing his right hand away from the Black Orb. He quickly turned and grabbed Mia's remaining hand and gazed into her eyes. "Don't you worry, Mia. We'll nail those two evildoers something good! And don't think I've forgotten what I promised you in Imil! I'll keep you safe no matter what it takes." Mia leaned up to kiss him, but a flash of light interrupted her from doing so.  
  
"Did I come at a bad time?" Flint asked, in a halfway snide voice, as he perched on Isaac's shoulder.  
  
"Your timing couldn't have been worse, Flint." Isaac sighed. "What do you need?"  
  
"Well, I came to warn you I sense a disturbance in Psynergy waves. . . I think Saturos and Menardi have something to do with it. I'm not sure what they're doing, but whatever it is, it's definitely not natural. Their power is unnaturally strong."  
  
"What do you mean?! Did they already get the Anubis Orb?!" Isaac asked.  
  
"No, but I think their sudden power swells have something to do with Edward Giles. I think there's a lot more to that man than meets the eye. Don't take that archer lightly, Isaac." Flint stated, before another flash of light appeared. Fizz stood, perched on Mia's shoulder facing Flint.  
  
"Flint. . . Aren't you forgetting something?" Fizz asked.  
  
"Oh yes, I almost forgot. All of the other Djinn are ready for action as well. Hopefully you won't need to call on us, but we stand ready to do so."  
  
"That wasn't what I was referring to, Flint." Fizz said, hopping over to Isaac's shoulder, next to Flint.  
  
"Oh, that. . ." Flint replied. "Do I need to tell them?"  
  
"Do it." Fizz said, snuggling next to the Venus Djinn.  
  
"You don't need to, Flint." Mia said. "I know what Fizz means. I'm sure Isaac knows too."  
  
"Knows what?" Isaac asked, earnestly not knowing what was going on.  
  
"Well, Fizz and I. . . we're like you and Mia." Flint said, voice shaking with embarrassment. "Well, you know." Isaac laughed at his little Venus companion.  
  
"I thought all this time Fizz hated you, not loved you! I mean, throughout our entire adventure, she was always picking on you and making jokes about you."  
  
"She reminds me of Jenna in a way, Isaac." Mia said. "Though Flint hardly reminds me of Garet. He's too crazy even to be Garet." She smiled.  
  
"Hey! I take offense at that remark." Flint snapped. He was silenced by Fizz rubbing closer to him. "Umm, yeah. . ." Flint stammered. "Gotta run!" A flash of golden light occurred, and the Venus Djinn disappeared into thin air.  
  
"Looks like he ditched you, Fizz." Mia sighed. "I don't think he's used to your sudden affection to him."  
  
"He's not." Fizz said, happily and dreamily. "I just better follow him." Fizz disappeared into oblivion with a blue flash, and Mia turned back to Isaac.  
  
"I never imagined that Djinn could fall in love." She said.  
  
"I guess they're more human than we could even know. Though, I have to admit, I'd never think Fizz and Flint would ever. . . I mean, Flint's hopeless, and I didn't even know Fizz was a girl. I mean, you referred to her as 'little guy' back in Imil. . ."  
  
"Well, she is a girl, and she was just about as hopeless as Flint before you came around. The reason why I said little guy was because she acted like a guy so much, I forgot at the moment she was a girl. I actually think those two are really cute together; our two first Djinni together much like us. It's quite appropriate." Mia said, snuggling up to Isaac how Fizz did to Flint.  
  
"Umm, yeah. . ." Isaac stammered. "Gotta run!" Isaac exclaimed, leaping from the bridge of the boat down to the deck and he charged down below decks. Mia couldn't help but laugh at Isaac's accurate but mocking imitation of his Djinn.  
  
***********************************  
  
Isaac lie awake on his bunk in the rocking sea. His room was shared with Garet, whom had done nothing but harass him about being in love with Mia all the previous night. However, Isaac landed his share of blows; turnabout was fair play, after all. Isaac didn't know why he couldn't go to sleep; the day before had been fair and calm, even amongst the tempest of life he was going through. Perhaps it was the memories of Vale that had stolen his sleep from him; he missed his hometown deeply, as well as all the people within. As he had determined earlier, the only thing that kept his sanity in check had been the Mercury Adept from Imil he loved so deeply. He sat up from his bed, and glanced over to his best friend, whom was sleeping soundly, but not snoring; something unusual for the Mars Adept. Isaac himself had tried to fall asleep for over three hours now, and he couldn't stop tossing and turning. By now he'd given up, trying to rest his fleeting mind before it got away from him completely. He now leaned against his pillow and also against the wooden wall of his quarters, eyes wide open. The memories of his town again flooded into his mind, and he was compelled to let them overcome him.  
  
****************************  
  
"Garet, hurry up! If we're late, Jenna will have our hides!" Isaac shouted, running in place, waiting for his young Mars Adept friend to catch up. "You know how much she hates us being late!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah! I'm coming Isaac!" Garet shouted back as he tried to catch up. "What did she say she wanted to see us for?" He asked, wooden training sword strapped to his back.  
  
"I'm not sure exactly, but she said it was important!" Isaac replied, running off alongside Garet. "I wonder myself what she wants that's so important." They ran down the beaten paths of Vale before they reached a small field nearby to Kraden's cottage. Jenna was tapping her foot impatiently, a wooden staff in her left hand.  
  
"You two nimrods are late!" Jenna shouted at the two friends. Isaac and Garet stopped and both showed signs of nervousness. Jenna was not a girl you'd want to ever make mad, and she certainly was right now.  
  
"What is it you wanted to show us, Jenna?" Isaac asked, sheepishly.  
  
"Oh yes, I did want to show you something. Stay still, please." Jenna smiled. The young Mars Adept smiled as she raised her wooden stick into the air. Small and weak rings of red energy surrounded her body, and she then pointed the staff directly at Isaac and Garet. The two suddenly felt a huge surge of heat, as a blast of Flare washed over them. The flames of Mars burned like no tomorrow, and Isaac could hear Garet yell out in pain, and Isaac followed a moment later. The flames subsided quickly, and Isaac let out his breath.  
  
"Jenna, what the heck was that?!" Isaac shouted.  
  
"Flare. I just learned how to use it properly today." Jenna replied, smile beaming. "Well, did it work?"  
  
"Did it work?! I thought my skin was going to burn off!" Isaac replied.  
  
"Yeah! Why the hell did you do that to US?!" Garet shouted back. "That fire really hurt, you know!"  
  
"Yeah, well. . . I'm surprised you're still not feeling the heat, Garet." Jenna smirked.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Garet, I think you really should go put yourself out." Jenna said, trying to contain her laughter.  
  
"What ARE you talking about!?"  
  
"Garet, your hair is on fire!!!" Isaac shouted at him.  
  
"What?!" Garet shouted, realizing Isaac was right. He started running around in circles and screaming like a dolt. "My hair is on fire! My hair is on fire! Put it out, put it out! AAAAA!" Garet tried to fan the fire to put it out, but he inevitably made it worse. "AAAAAGH! Help me, Isaac!!!" He shouted, charging toward Isaac.  
  
"Keep away from me!" Isaac shouted, trying to keep his distance from the inferno that was Garet's hair. Isaac began running away from his immolated friend and started through the woods. "Garet! Calm down!" Isaac managed to gain ground away from Garet, but he was forced to stop short when he reached a river bank. The Venus Adept looked behind him, to see Garet continuing his rampage toward him. "GARET! NO WAIT!!!" He shouted to his friend, who obviously wasn't capable of listening at this point. The Mars Adept slammed into him, sending both of them careening into the stream below, where both their heads surfaced a couple of seconds later.  
  
"Ah, that's better. My hair's not on fire anymore." Garet sighed in relief.  
  
"Yeah, but did you have to take me along for the ride?!"  
  
"You two are worth so many laughs!" Jenna exclaimed, bursting out in laughter as she reached the river bank. "That was rich!"  
  
"Not as rich as this!" Isaac exclaimed, dragging Jenna into the river and shoving her under. Both he and Garet began belly laughing when Jenna resurfaced. Her expression changed from mild anger back into laughter when she saw her two friends as soaked as her.  
  
***********************  
  
That was the first time any of them had learned to use the power of Psynergy for direct attack. Jenna had always been very talented, especially with Psynergy. She had far more skill in her element than Garet, and if Jenna was of the same element of himself, she would undoubtedly be much more powerful. Though she was talented with Psynergy, it came at the cost of her feebleness in direct combat. He and Garet were excellent swordsmen, and they both could hold their own in the fray. That memory, however, filled Isaac with joy and sorrow; he remembered it was about a year before the Sol Sanctum incident. While the moment was happy, it reminded him of the time in his life where he retained his youthful innocence; he'd really had done nothing to hurt anyone to that point. After the Sanctum was defiled, Isaac inevitably lost some of his humanity to violence. Isaac wanted nothing more now than to stop hurting people, even if it was an evil person. He reclined into his pillow, where he finally fell into a deep sleep. 


	21. Daybreak

"How much longer until we reach the Mars Lighthouse, Ivan?" Triad asked, peeking his head out of from under the weathered tarp covering his flying machine.  
  
"I'm not sure, Triad." The Jupiter Adept replied.  
  
"Land ho!" Dargon's voice sounded from the crow's nest above. "I think I can see the lighthouse from here!"  
  
"Affirmative, Dargon! Do you spot a port?" Isaac called to him.  
  
"Yeah, bear twenty degrees port and head straight forward. We're about ten kilometers out, I think."  
  
"All hands, prepare to dock in a few moments. We're going ashore." Isaac's voice sounded from the bridge of the ship. Jenna, Felix, and Sheba arose from below decks, while Garet poked his head from the cargo hold, and Mia was up on the bridge with Isaac.  
  
"How long until we dock?" Garet asked, a piece of wheat bread in his mouth.  
  
"We're you in the food stocks again?!" Jenna exclaimed.  
  
"I missed breakfast with my shift in the crow's nest! I was eating my ration!" Garet replied.  
  
"Enough, you two. Garet, we'll probably moor in the port in twenty minutes, so be ready. All hands, welcome to the Mars Lighthouse."  
  
***************************  
  
"Good day, sir. How long will you be moored with us?" A woman behind the main desk in the dock office asked.  
  
"I'm not sure. Hopefully not for too long." Isaac replied.  
  
"So, payment will be on your leave then, correct?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Very good, sir. Will you and your crew be needing a place to stay? I recommend the Blue Anchor Inn down the street a little ways. They have a fine set of rooms, and their food is superb. Their prices are quite reasonable too."  
  
"Thank you, ma'am. We'll certain give the place the once over." Isaac smiled, as he handed the ship's manifest to the woman behind the counter.  
  
"Good, you don't have any illegal cargo, so there is no problem with keeping your boat here. Enjoy your stay here in the town of Titanus."  
  
"Thanks, we will." Isaac replied. "By the way, what's the weather like this time of year?"  
  
"Well, you've come right at our winter time. It's usually quite cold most of the winter, but we rarely see any snow. In fact, we haven't had a decent snowstorm in about ten years now."  
  
"That's good and bad, depending how you view snow."  
  
"How do you like it, sir?"  
  
"I love the snow." Isaac stated. It was his time in Imil that caused Isaac to learn to love the snow. Mia had taught him; that was definitely one thing he would never forget. "Thanks again." Isaac replied, turning back to the group. The dusk was already falling, and the group would need a place to stay for night. It would be the easiest thing to do for him to listen to the recommendation of the keeper. "Well, let's go find an inn for the night. We'll seek out the Anubis Orb first thing in the morning."  
  
"Sounds good to me, Isaac. What do you think, Felix?" Dargon asked.  
  
"It's fine."  
  
"Jeez, talk about unexcited speeches. . ." Triad sighed. "I'm up for rest after working on that stupid flying machine all day." The group left the mooring office and began to walk down the dirt trodden streets of Titanus. The town was a port one; it reeked of fish, but yet had the rejuvenating scent of salt water in the air. The buildings were all made of wood and they looked somewhat ramshackle, but given the size of the large town, the buildings were much better constructed than they looked. The roads were bustling with people, going to and fro about their business, though no one was busy enough not to give a warm greeting. The town seemed very peaceful, and on its outskirts lie the famed Mars Lighthouse.  
  
"Wow, this town makes you doubt the existence of Devil's Cave right nearby, doesn't it?" Mia asked, enjoying the town's homey appearance; it kind of reminded her of Imil's appearance in the summer, but with the added sea breeze. She half expected to turn a corner and run into her two young disciples, but she knew her hopes were folly, as she remembered they still lay in a pair of marked graves in Imil.  
  
"Well, the surface of something doesn't mean a damned thing." Dargon replied to Mia. "This place could very well be a hideout for thieves and bandits."  
  
"That may be true, but I wouldn't look on the bad side of everything, Dargon. This town is quite nice." Sheba said, quietly.  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Dargon sighed, realizing he was beaten. "So this is the place?" He asked, when he noticed the Blue Anchor sign. He was answered when Isaac pulled open the door and walked inside.  
  
************************************  
  
The night was quiet as the Adepts sat down for dinner in the dining room of the inn; the place was virtually empty. Isaac was informed by the tavern- keeper that they had arrived during the slow season, so rooms were easy to get. Besides the group of eight, there were only about five other people who were visiting, and they all looked like regulars to the dining establishment of the Blue Anchor Inn.  
  
"So, any idea what will await us in that cave, Felix?" Triad asked.  
  
"Not a clue. Saturos spoke of the place rarely, so he probably knew something important. I'm afraid I have no idea what he was hiding."  
  
"So we have no leads to go on?" Jenna asked.  
  
"Not a single one."  
  
"Damn." Garet said, simply. "What do you think, Isaac?"  
  
"I say we go in ready for anything; whether it be for a standard spelunking tour or if we have to fight the devil himself." Isaac replied, in-between bites of his roasted Cornish hen. "Mia, I hope you brought all of our healing supplies."  
  
"I wouldn't forget, Isaac." Mia replied.  
  
"But why do we have to go into the Devil's Cave anyway? Why can't we just guard it or something?" Triad asked. "I mean, it's not like Saturos and Menardi are actually here right now, is it?"  
  
"Oh, they're here all right." Ivan replied. "They're watching and waiting, Triad. I know they are. They're going to wait until we least expect it to show their heads. That's how those two work."  
  
"Speaking of least expecting something. . ." Garet started. "Here Isaac, I never did give you back the Mars Star. Take it." He tossed the mythril bag to Isaac, whom caught it in one hand and stuck it within his bottomless belt bag.  
  
"Thanks, Garet."  
  
"Don't mention it." He said, returning to scarfing down his food. Garet was eating at a frenzied pace, while Isaac, Ivan, Felix, and Dargon stuffed their faces at moderate rates. Triad, whom never ate much anyway, was finished quickly.  
  
"Are you sure that's all you're going to eat, Triad?" Jenna asked.  
  
"Yes. I'm full. I think I'm going to go take a walk." Triad said, getting up from his place.  
  
"Do you mind if I tag along?" Ivan asked, setting his place aside. "I need the exercise right now."  
  
"I don't mind." Triad replied, waiting for Ivan to get up. After he did, they left their inn and began walking down the streets.  
  
"Pardon me if I seem blunt, Triad, but you've been awfully quiet and withdrawn since we left Tolbi. May I ask why?" Ivan asked, quietly.  
  
"If you were anyone else, Ivan, no. Considering I trust you, I'll tell you. What's been bothering me was my own inventions."  
  
"What do you mean? Are you talking about your flyer?"  
  
"No, not that. My other inventions. The ones I made while I was under Babi's payroll. You see, I invented a substance that when ignited properly, would explode into beautiful colors and lights. Ignited incorrectly, and the results would be explosive to say the least. I called it 'flashpowder', but Babi's other members changed the name to 'gunpowder'. Why they changed it, I can't say."  
  
"Maybe they liked it better that way." Ivan replied.  
  
"I don't know, and I don't care. Well, I also invented a casing to properly ignite the flashpowder, and I called it a 'Rocket'. It tested beautifully, and I called the pair together 'fireworks'. Later, I invented the improved launching tubes for the rockets, where they could fly higher and explode more beautifully. After Sheba had mentioned Lalivero's capture by Tolbi, I realized Babi couldn't have succeeded without powerful siege weaponry. Babi's scientists had rumored to have militarized my rockets, but I had no true idea until I heard Sheba. She made no mention of the assault itself, but Lalivero's walls could only be breached by explosives, and they'd have to be launched far away."  
  
"Hence the mortar, correct?"  
  
"Yes, but they got that from an accident I did; one of my rockets misfired and blasted into a small grove of trees outside of Tolbi, where I got the idea for the mortar. The mortar I used against the centaur was my own adaptation of my fireworks launching tube, meant to be used for entertainment purposes only. It worked all too well as a weapon, and I put two and two together from there. Babi had undoubtedly had the same idea, and my fears were confirmed. Each of my peace-minded inventions was twisted into a murder tool. Do you know how many people died because of my meddling with science?"  
  
"How many?" Ivan asked, after hesitating for a moment.  
  
"Seven thousand nine hundred and twenty six, Ivan. Almost eight thousand people were killed by my inventions. Tolbi had engaged in numerous wars, but I had no idea my inventions were being used in such a grim and terrible way. I have a lot to live down, Ivan. I'll burn in Hell for my meddling with science."  
  
"Triad, you invented things for good, and they were used for evil. It happens all the time. Don't blame yourself, my friend."  
  
"Ivan, I have done mankind a horrible disservice with what I have done. Luckily, if anything good came from my talk with Babi, it was that he promised to decommission every weapon I inadvertently made."  
  
"That's fine news, though something else seems to be bothering you. What is it?"  
  
"The thing that bugs me now is, how will I apologize to Sheba? My inventions were directly responsible for her abduction and detention; my inventions sealed the fate of Lalivero. I've had a hard time looking into her eyes when I talk to her because of this."  
  
"Triad, Sheba already knows what happened, and she knew before you did that you were being used. Sheba already knows you feel bad and she'd want you to cheer up and work with what you have." Ivan replied. "I know these things, Triad."  
  
"I guess it comes with falling in love, doesn't it, Ivan?" Triad replied. Upon Triad's comment, Ivan's face went red as a beet and he was stunned speechless. "Yeah, I knew about you two from nearly moment one, Ivan." Triad smiled. His grin was rebuked a moment later when he heard someone down the next alley draw a weapon. "Stay sharp, Ivan." Triad ordered, drawing his crystal weapon. Triad spun around the corner, his sword out in front of him. He saw two men, armed with broadswords, trying to mug a person shrouded completely in brown robes. The person in the robes was cornered, and whomever it was wasn't able to fight back.  
  
"Give me all your money and any valuables you have, or you'll be having this blade for dinner!" One of the hooligans ordered.  
  
"I don't want trouble." The cloaked figure stated, not out of fear, but in plain statement.  
  
"Then give us all your valuables!"  
  
"I refuse." The person stated bluntly.  
  
"Hold it!" Triad shouted, leaping into an attack. The thieves were caught unprepared from Triad's sudden assault and leapt into defense. The first thief jumped backward away from Triad, while the second parried Triad's swing. The inventor was quick on the return though, and kept his attack pressed. Meanwhile, the other miscreant was attempting to get behind Triad, but he was swiftly punished by a quick blow to the head with an Angelic Ankh. Ivan lowered his weapon after knocking the man unconscious, and watched Triad fence with the other thief. Triad, whom had practiced his sword-fighting against viscous and agile Hellhounds, was at the obvious advantage, and he forced the opponent to react to each of his swings. With one powerful blow, Triad knocked the broadsword from the mugger's hand and pushed his crystal blade to the man's throat.  
  
"Now then, I believe you owe this guy an apology." Triad stated, smugly.  
  
"Triad, knock it off. Don't be so arrogant." Ivan sighed.  
  
"All right, fine." Triad replied. "But you, I'm not letting you off that easily."  
  
"Let him go." The robed figure stated.  
  
"What?! He tried to attack you!"  
  
"Let him go." The figure stated again. Triad glanced back and forth, but released the man.  
  
"Get out of my sight, you snake." Triad hissed. "If I catch you at this again, you won't be so lucky." He withdrew his crystal sword, and the would-be criminal fled without a word. "Coward." Triad grunted out of spite for his adversary.  
  
"Thank you, sir." The figure stated. "Your kindness shall be rewarded in the future. I must be going now. Excuse me." The cloaked wanderer passed by Ivan without interference. After the figure was out of sight, Ivan walked over to Triad, whom had just sheathed his weapon.  
  
"Jeez, Triad. I've never seen you that aggressive before. Is something wrong?"  
  
"No, Ivan, but there are four kinds of people in this world I hate."  
  
"And whom are they?"  
  
"Thieves, rapists, spouses who beat their spouses and/or children, and people who kill other people because they can."  
  
"Honorable, Triad. . . but no good can come from hatred."  
  
"It's yet to do me bad."  
  
"Your hatred will be the death of you someday, Triad. Don't say I didn't warn you."  
  
"Well, if it does destroy me, I won't be looking for sympathy then, Ivan." Triad sighed. "Forget it. Let's just go back to the inn. The others don't need to know about this little escapade, right?"  
  
"No, they don't."  
  
"Good. Let's go get some rest."  
  
***********************************  
  
"Well, the innkeeper said the Devil's Cave was down this road. It's only a matter of time before we find it." Isaac stated as the group left the town of Titanus and walked into the wilderness beyond. "We've never been out here before, so keep your eyes peeled for hostiles."  
  
"Do we even know if Saturos and Menardi are here?! I mean, Ivan may have thought so, but could it be possible that he's wrong?" Dargon asked.  
  
"There's always that possibility, Dargon. Though Ivan has yet to be incorrect when it came to prediction." Sheba stated.  
  
"If you say so, Sheba." Dargon sighed. "Either way, I'm interested in finding out what everyone is so worried about." Triad wrapped himself in his cape to keep out the wind, while Ivan did the same. Triad was mumbling it was the same damned wind from Imil that blew through this town. Eventually, even his whining was silenced by the sight of the mouth of Devil's Cave. The nine heroes stood before the threshold of the caves, and before fear gave second thoughts, entered the cave. 


	22. Requiem of Demise

"Wow, this place is spooky." Jenna stated, after Ivan casted Reveal into the cavern. "It feels like purgatory or even Hell itself. . ."  
  
"This place gives me the creeps." Garet muttered.  
  
"I don't like this place one bit." Triad stated, unwrapping himself from his black cape. "Well, it does get us out of that wind. . . I guess it has one redeeming quality."  
  
"Triad, will you quit complaining about the weather?!" Dargon snapped.  
  
"Calm yourself, Dargon. You can't let this atmosphere get you on edge." Felix stated to him. "Let's just get the Anubis Orb and destroy it."  
  
"Why should we destroy it? Wouldn't that cause some kind of reaction or something?" Jenna asked. "I mean, if the thing has the power to steal spirits, destroying it could unleash a lot of bad things into the world."  
  
"Then what do you suggest we do to it?" Felix asked.  
  
"I don't know, I was just thinking out loud." Jenna sighed.  
  
"Quiet, guys. Let's just take a look around." Isaac stated, drawing his Gaia Blade quietly. "Be on your guard. We don't know what might be lurking in the shadows." Isaac led forward into the inky black cave, with Ivan and Mia close behind. Garet, Sheba, and Jenna followed them, while Triad, Dargon, and Felix watched the rear. Ivan occasionally casted Reveal to keep the pathways ahead clear, but the cave was more of a long passageway than a cave in the truest sense of the word.  
  
"This is a strange cave." Sheba said. "Most caves have several paths and corridors, but this place is more like a Great Hall or something."  
  
"Well, they say this cave is supposed to have the gates of Hell in it." Dargon replied, keeping his kite shield raised and his sword in ready position.  
  
"I doubt that, Dargon. It's just a superstition." Felix replied.  
  
"What if it isn't?"  
  
"Then we'll be burning in fire and brimstone. Shut up, Dargon." Felix muttered.  
  
"Hey, I see something ahead." Ivan stated, pointing his staff in front of him. "It looks like a huge ceremonial chamber." After Ivan finished, Isaac moved forward, ready to fight whatever may decide to jump out at him. Instead, there was a large room, with stone tiles and torches; it really did look like a ceremonial chamber with a huge stone statue of the Grim Reaper and two Anubial Statues on each of his flanks.  
  
"I know I don't like this place." Mia shuddered. "It feels of death, reeks of death, and looks of death." She stepped closer to Isaac, whom was quick to console.  
  
"Spread out and be careful. Watch for traps of any kind, and don't touch ANYTHING!" The others nodded, but as soon as Dargon, whom was in the back of the pack, entered the room, a huge stone slab slammed down in front of the door, blocking any escape at all. "Damn it! I told you not to touch anything!"  
  
"I didn't touch anything." Dargon stated, turning toward Isaac, who had Mia in one of his arms. Dargon wasn't surprised in the least, but turned at the sight of a green glow behind Isaac. "Isaac, behind you!" The Venus Adept spun and saw the same eerie light crack through the stones in the floor, and he could feel a tremendous evil preparing to emerge from the floor.  
  
"Run!" Isaac shouted. He and Mia retreated as far away as they could, and thankfully so. The floor tiles exploded upward violently, and a huge creature appeared from the green glow. The figure was enormous, dwarfing even Garet in size. The creature had a black hide, with two high and pointy ears, but it wore a suit of dark plate mail and carried a long spear in its left hand. On its back was a scabbard with a rather vicious looking sword. The creature's facial features resembled that of a dog's, but was much fiercer and much scarier, with its eyes glowing a horrible blood red.  
  
"What the hell is that thing?!" Garet shouted, drawing his Swift Sword.  
  
"That must be the Guardian Anubis. . . I've heard legends, but I never knew it was true." Felix stated, almost in shock. "That creature is charged with guarding the Anubis Orb, and it is very good at what it does. Legend had it that the Guardian was so powerful, he dared to challenge the god of war to a duel; he lost in the end, but put up a fight unlike any the god had ever faced. Because the Anubis lost, the god of war gave him this charge to fulfill, along with eternal life."  
  
"What?! So we're fighting a demigod here?!"  
  
"Basically."  
  
"We're screwed." Dargon sighed, standing defensively. "So this thing's immortal?"  
  
"No, it'll just live forever. It can be killed." Felix stated. "Isaac, do you have a plan?"  
  
"Not this time. Let's let him make the first move." Isaac said, focusing on the Anubis, whom had not moved a muscle this whole time. Tense moments passed, as both sides awaited the other to make a move, but not so much was a grain of dust disturbed. It was clear that whatever the creature was planning meant he had to be on the defensive. Eventually, Isaac called to the creature. "Guardian Anubis, what do you want with us?"  
  
The creature turned, and focused his glowering eyes onto Isaac. It took a long time before the creature replied in a voice barely more audible than a low growl. "What do you want from me?"  
  
"We come seeking to destroy the Anubis Orb."  
  
"I can't let you do that." It snarled. "Whether you intend to use it or not, it is my job to guard it."  
  
"I understand, Anubis, but if we do not destroy it, two evil people will use it for evil purposes."  
  
"I must guard the Orb. If you wish to have it, you must take it." It growled, lowly. "Now, prepare yourselves!" The Anubis raised his spear and lunged at Isaac, who barely had time to dodge away. Knowing he would have to pull out all the stops, Isaac's Psynergy began overflowing as he summoned the Ragnarok. The Anubis was struck dead-on, but he was little more than scratched by the powerful Venus skill. Following up, the Anubis was picked up by a Tornado attack by Ivan, and then blasted by Shine Plasma from Sheba. The creature was now mad, though his rage only fueled his combative abilities. Garet was barely able to raise his sword in defense before the point of the Anubis's spear was upon him. The muscles and sinews in Garet's arms strained as he tried to force the warrior back, but even his girth was not enough to muscle such a veteran. Garet's arms succumbed to the strength of the warrior, and as he was about to be impaled, the creature was blasted by huge ice particles and a blast of fire. Mia and Jenna had casted Glacier and Flare Storm at the same time, actually knocking the creature back. Felix was quick to seize the opportunity and leapt forward with his Assassin Blade, attempting to bring the enemy's life to a premature and abrupt end. However, the Blade did little against the hide of the monster, save but a scratch. Dargon was next to try his luck with a powerful charging attack, that pushed the Anubis two feet away from Garet, giving them both enough room to escape.  
  
The Anubis, now knowing the strengths of all but one of his opponents, knew what had to be done. He raised his spear into the air, and a blast of Eruption caught Felix and Ivan and sent them flying across the chamber, both badly burned. They stood, injured, but not incapacitated, and readied their weapons for another go-around. Felix decided to retaliate first, and his blade began glowing with an awesome red power, and he leapt into the air. The image of the Grim Reaper appeared to everyone in the room, and after the initial dark flash, Felix leapt away from a now slightly injured Anubis Warrior. Garet and Isaac didn't want to miss a chance, so they both attacked at the same time, bolstered by the speed-boosting powers of Zephyr, who had been summoned by Sheba. Their speed made them next to impossible to hit, so the Anubis instead casted Flare Wall into the party's ranks. Jenna, Sheba, and Triad were blasted by the wave of fire, but none were critically hurt. Triad now leapt forward to attack, only to be swatted away by the creature's spear pole, which had struck the inventor squarely in the face before he could strike. Surprised by catching the inventor in mid-attack, the creature leapt in an attempt to finish him, but was thwarted by Ivan and a blast of Plasma. Dargon dove in for a low strike with his sword, and managed to cleave a wound into the devil-dog's hide. The creature howled in pain, and it began to glow red as it prepared its next attack. Before it could, its bright burning aura was extinguished by a shot of Ice Missile, courtesy of the neighborhood Mercury Adept. The creature now appeared weakened, but it attacked Isaac anyway. Unable to avoid it, Isaac found he had a new addition to his right shoulder in the following moments, but he soon realized it left, along with a great deal of his own blood. Everything whirled black for the Venus Adept as the ground met his back, but before he could faint, he could feel a warm, blue aura restoring his power. Mia kneeled beside him, worry in her eyes, but concern turned to glee when his eyes re-opened.  
  
Standing back up, his flesh anew, he grabbed his dropped Gaia Blade and lunged forward with the gold-glowing blade. A flash of Titan Blade showered down from the heavens above, evidence of their observation of the battle. The powerful force shattered the plate mail armor of the Anubis, but he was still far from finished. Sheba now sought to finish what Isaac started, so she let loose the fury of a Storm Ray, electrocuting the demon dog. Jenna now wanted to show her talents, and so she blasted the creature with a blast of Cataclysm, depleting her own power, but deathly weakening the creature.  
  
The creature stood now, clad only in its padded armor it wore beneath its plate mail. His spear was little more than ashes in his palms now, so he switched to his trusty sword and sturdy shield. He leapt into attack, striking at Dargon with his massive broadsword. Dargon's armor took most of the punishment, merely winding the steel-clad warrior. Quick to reply with steel of his own, Dargon returned the blow with a couple of quick sword strokes that the Anubis, now free of his heavy armor, could dodge. The creature crossed swords with Dargon once more and sparks from their blades flew everywhere, illuminating the battle. No other Adept stepped into the fight, they merely awaited the outcome of the duel. Finally, Dargon managed to get inside of an attack and stab the creature in the side with his sword. The Anubis gasped for air, as it slid back off of Dargon's sword, wounded and incapacitated.  
  
"Never in hundreds of years have I encountered warriors of your caliber." The creature announced to all.  
  
"Are you okay?" Isaac asked, sheathing his weapon and walking over to the creature.  
  
"I'm fine. . . I am impressed by your honorable and chivalrous ways, young warrior. What is your name?"  
  
"Isaac."  
  
"Very well then, Isaac. You and your companions have more than proved yourselves worthy of the Anubis Orb. In your fighting, I sensed purity; something I have not felt since I battled the god of war for bragging rights. You and your friends are truly blessed persons, fighting not for your own ambition, but for the welfare of those around you. Yes, I sensed all of this from you and your companions when I fought with you."  
  
"Hold still, please." Mia said to the creature, attempting to cast Ply on his wound.  
  
"Thank you, young healer. Your kindness is unusual; most fighters would've finished me off during that fight. . . your restraint in doing so proves my point. More than anyone, you deserve to keep the power of this sacred relic." He said, pulling a small green crystal ball from beneath his padded armor. It was attached to an amulet, but it popped right off and into the creature's hand. "Take it, young Isaac." As the Venus Adept reached for the orb, the creature made a strange sound. Isaac looked at the creature, realizing an arrow was now placed between the two formerly glowing eyes. The Anubis fell limp next to him, and before he could take the gem away from it, Isaac and Mia were blasted away from the creature's limp form by a Fireball barrage.  
  
"Ah, I see you did the hard work for us again, Isaac." Saturos smiled, dashing in and grabbing the small stone. "I admire your handiwork, but your follow-through needs some serious work, Adept."  
  
"Saturos!" Several of the benevolent Adepts gasped.  
  
"Menardi, Edward, look. We got what we came for." He smiled, holding up the orb to his companions. "I say we go test it out on the nearest town."  
  
"No!" Isaac shouted, lunging forward, his Gaia Blade leading the way.  
  
"You can't stop us!" Edward shouted, firing an arrow from his longbow at Isaac. The Venus Adept was forced to dodge out of the way, giving Saturos adequate time to make distance and return to his group. "Make haste, Saturos. I'll hold them off."  
  
"Very well, Edward, just make it quick." Saturos replied, Menardi following him back down through the tunnels they had entered in. The stone slab that had sealed them in was in a thousand pieces on the floor because of an enraged attack by the male Mars Adept. Edward now turned to the group of nine that was preparing to counter-attack, so he formulated his plan. He drew an arrow from his quiver, and knocked it quickly into the bowstring. The arrowhead began glowing white, and Edward Giles launched it into the pack of the Adepts. The arrowhead exploded into pure, white, blinding light. Each of the heroes' vision was blocked and clouded, and when sight returned to their eyes, there was no sign of Edward Giles anywhere in the whole cave.  
  
"Damn him!" Dargon shouted, sheathing his sword and banging his armored fist into the wall next to him. "I'm personally going to eviscerate his intestines from his abdomen when I get hold of him! Then, I think I'll. . ."  
  
"Dargon, please. . ." Mia pleaded. "Don't think that way. We have other things to be concerned about."  
  
"Mia's right. We have to get back to Titanus; there's no doubt that their idea of testing is to steal the souls of everyone in the town. Let's go!" Isaac responded, charging down the corridor for the exit. Everyone else followed quickly, but even at full speed, it took awhile to get out of the cave.  
  
"How far to the town?"  
  
"It'll take us about fifteen minutes to get back at full speed." Ivan replied.  
  
"Damn! By that time Saturos and Menardi would've already gotten there and started wreaking havoc!" Garet swore. "Let's not waste any more time. Move it." Again, the favored pace was taken up down the beaten path to Titanus. Ivan's estimation was correct, and when they arrived, the town was already thrown into utter chaos. People ran away left and right, flooding the streets. Ignoring the masses, the Adepts pushed through the crowd, eventually reaching the source of the chaos: The Blue Anchor Inn. Menardi and Edward stood perched on the roof of the inn, but made no motion to halt the new arrivals. Saturos stood on the ground, green orb in one hand, the innkeeper in the other. The innkeeper was struggling to get away.  
  
"Help me! Let me go, you bastard!" He called.  
  
"I'm tired of your lip, weakling." Saturos smirked. "Watch well, Isaac." He slammed the orb against the chest of the innkeeper, who began glowing green ferociously. The man screamed out loudly as the very essence of his spirit drained from its mortal shell and into the orb. Everything happened in two mere seconds, and it followed with a flash of green energy. The innkeeper now lay face down on the ground, with the orb glowing brightly in Saturos's hand. "Ah, the true source of power; what comes from within. I can't wait to use this to further bolster our power. . ."  
  
"Let him go, now!" Isaac shouted, summoning the Ragnarok on his adversary. Saturos leapt from the trajectory of the attack and up onto the roof with his companions. The Mars Adept smiled evilly, as he gazed back at the enraged Venus Adept below.  
  
"You're all talk, Isaac. It's pathetic."  
  
"Come down here and say that, coward!"  
  
"Fine." Saturos replied, leaping down to the ground four yards from Isaac. "You're pathetic." Saturos drew his bastard sword and defended against Isaac's sword thrust. "Predictable." Saturos lead back with a Heat Slash, which Isaac deflected himself. Isaac and his adversary began fencing ferociously with one another, with the others watching tensely.  
  
"Saturos, stop playing around! We have work to do!" Menardi shouted down to her companion.  
  
"Aww, I was just having some fun, Menardi." Saturos whined, blocking an attack by Isaac. "All right. I'll stop messing with Isaac." Saturos said, using his speed to dash away from the Venus Adept and toward the group. "How about one of them, then?" Before anyone could respond, Saturos picked his target and lunged at it with the Anubis Orb in his left hand. The target was struck square in the torso, and the green energy began to flow from the orb again. The others gasped in horror as one of their own had suffered the same fate as the innkeeper. Finally, Saturos withdrew his arm when he was sure the orb's work was finished. Smiling, he leapt back onto the roof, slipping the orb within a small bag on his side. Mia rushed over to the fallen comrade, checking vitals.  
  
"What happened?" Jenna asked, in disbelief.  
  
"Is he going to be okay?" Sheba continued.  
  
"I don't know, Sheba." Mia said.  
  
"Damn you, Saturos!" Garet shouted up to him.  
  
"I've already been there once, Garet." The Mars Adept responded.  
  
"Garet, calm yourself. Anger will lead to mistakes." Felix stated. "Though you deserved to be damned for your sins, fiend."  
  
"Come down here and try that again, damn you!" Dargon shouted.  
  
"Triad, speak to me, buddy!" Ivan said, pushing the inventor's limp shoulder. Turning his head toward the roof, he glared at the evildoers. "You'll pay dearly for this!"  
  
"Well, considering you seem to miss that nitwit quite a bit, I have a proposition for you. Bring the Mars Star to the Aerie of the Mars Lighthouse and we'll talk about releasing Triad's spirit back into his body. Meet us there soon. We hate to be left waiting, you know. Come Menardi, Edward." The three of them were then incased by a thick fog which was produced by a Smoke Bomb pitched by Edward.  
  
"Will Triad be okay, Mia?" Jenna asked the Mercury Adept.  
  
"He's basically dead, Jenna. . . He has his vitals, but he has no spirit at all. Triad's just a shell until we can get figure out what to do next."  
  
"I know what you must do." A voice sounded out. They turned their heads to see a cloaked figure walking close to them.  
  
"Hey, Triad and I saved you last night!"  
  
"That's right, and I said your kindness would be rewarded; I will give you information." The cloaked figure's face was yet to be seen at all, and the person had no intention of revealing it. "The Anubis Orb's spiritual powers can be used in the way the controller desires. If you can take the orb and wish for the souls held within to be returned, you can release Triad's soul back into his mortal body. What most don't know is that the orb itself has a mind of its own. If it so wishes, it can take the powers of others on its own and use it for its own purposes. The artifact is evil itself, and in time it may actually destroy Saturos and the others on its own. However, this is time we cannot afford to waste. If you do not get Triad's spirit back in twelve hours, his mortal body will cease to function."  
  
"So, what are we going to do when we get there? We can't hand over the Mars Star to Saturos!"  
  
"We'll fight him instead. We beat him before, we'll do it again!" Garet exclaimed, raising his Swift Sword into the sky.  
  
"Wait. It's not that simple, warrior. Saturos could easily use the spirits of the innkeeper and Triad to bolster his own power, and then they'd be gone for good. You must walk into this situation with both eyes open. Now, you have precious little time. One of you should stay back and keep an eye on Triad and the innkeeper.  
  
"I'll stay." Sheba stated. "I'd only get in the way up there. Get going, all of you. I'll take them into the inn." Sheba said, casting Carry on both bodies. She walked inside, with both bodies floating behind her. Isaac and the others shot off at a dead run toward the Mars Lighthouse to the north, but not before Mia stopped to have a quick word with the mystery figure.  
  
"Thank you, whoever you are."  
  
"You're welcome. Be careful up there." The figure stated, watching Mia run off to catch up with the others. The figure stood silent for a few moments before finally speaking a few words to himself. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more, Jenna. . . and I'm sorry for what I did to you, Mia."  
  
"Hey! There you are!" A man shouted, rushing up to the figure. He was of average height and build, but was obviously a sailor. "Jeez, I'm glad I found you. We're shoving off in ten minutes. By the way, why are you wearing that hood?"  
  
"It was cold here." The figure stated, walking down the path to the docks.  
  
"Jeez, that's funny. Coming from where you were born, I thought you'd think this was summertime, Alex. Take off that damned hood." "Fine." Alex replied, removing his hood to reveal his head to the world. "Are you satisfied now, Abram? Let's go now." The Mercury Adept ordered, pushing the ship captain ahead of him and onto the boat. 


	23. The Sorrowful Battle

The front door to the Mars Lighthouse lie before them, dark and foreboding. The Lighthouse was enormous, not unlike all of the others the Adepts had visited, but an aura of evil seemed to surround this one in particular.  
  
"Garet, Jenna? Someone's going to have to open the door. You're both Mars Adepts, so one of you has to do it." Isaac stated.  
  
"I'll do it." Garet stated, walking up to an insignia of a raging flame. He cast Flare on the picture, and the doors slowly opened up, to reveal the lobby of the Lighthouse. The lobby was wide open, spanning the entire first floor. There were no obstacles in the way, save for a few columns and pillars.  
  
"Wow. This place is pretty straightforward, isn't it?" Ivan asked, noticing a staircase leading to the next floor. "It's a lot less confounding than the other Lighthouses already."  
  
"Well, maybe they designed this place with a typical Mars Adept in mind: Quick, To-The-Point, and Simple." Isaac replied.  
  
"What are you insinuating, Isaac?!" Jenna snapped back.  
  
"Not YOU, Jenna. Jeez." Isaac sighed. "I was referring to Garet, Saturos, and Menardi."  
  
"How dare you classify me with the likes of them!" Garet exclaimed.  
  
"Well, the three of you are impatient, hotheaded, and irratating. . ." Jenna replied, smiling.  
  
"But only two of them are evil." Isaac said. "All right, let's go. I can't wait to see what they've got up their sleeves for us now." Isaac and company slowly walked into the Lighthouse, being careful to ensure they weren't setting off any traps. The floor was clear; no enemies, no traps, and no sign of the evil ones. The cautiously moved up to the next floor, which was much like the first. Whomever had designed this lighthouse obviously had the impatient in mind when he did so. Finally, Isaac and the others made it into the third floor, where they were greeted by a large great hall. It looked almost like a battle arena, as it had cages along the sides of the room.  
  
"What the hell is this?" Dargon asked, clutching his long sword in his palm. "I don't like this at all. It feels like a trap." Unfazed, Isaac led the group into the room, where he was followed closely by Mia, Garet, and Felix. As they crossed the hall, Isaac and most of the others could swear they heard the growling of some rather hungry Hellhounds and Fenrirs in this room. However, the only places they could've been were in the cages, and they were all bolted shut. The next hallway lie mere yards in front of Isaac, and he carefully approached the new hall with Mia almost hanging on his shoulder. As Isaac stepped into the threshold of the new hallway, a giant iron portcullis slammed down between most of the group and Isaac and Mia. Now separated into a group of five and a group of two, the new situation posed some major problems for the lot of them.  
  
"Now what?!" Garet exclaimed, banging his hands on the portcullis and swearing underneath his breath.  
  
"Calm down, Garet." Ivan stated.  
  
"I told you this place was a bloody trap!"  
  
"Sharp as a tack, exactly how I remember you, Dargon." The mocking voice of Edward Giles sounded. The man was located on a roost several stories above them, so he was far out of reach for any ranged weapon and would be difficult to target with Psynergy. "Well, I guess I timed the portcullis a little poorly. I see Isaac and Mia managed to slip through. No matter. I hope you five others enjoy a meeting with some of my little friends. See you later. . ." Edward replied, pulling some kind of lever and disappearing from sight. The bars on the cages fell into the ground and about fifteen slobbering Hellhounds and ten Fenrirs leapt from the holding cells and began snarling at the Adepts.  
  
"Damn! The odds are five to one!" Garet shouted, drawing his sword. "Isaac! Get going!"  
  
"But. . ."  
  
"Isaac, if you don't get to the Aerie and release Triad's spirit, this whole trip will be wasted! Besides, you can't get through that gate! Move it!" Felix shouted at him, knocking a Hellhound away from him with his Silver Blade.  
  
"Felix!" Isaac shouted, banging on the gate.  
  
"Isaac, come on. We have to get moving." Mia placed her hand softly on Isaac's shoulder. The Venus Adept turned to face her; his eyes flooded with concern, but he nodded in consent. The two dashed up the flight of stairs, leaving the others to fight the demon hounds alone.  
  
"Good, they've gone ahead! Shine Plasma!" Ivan shouted, casting a blast of lightning into the drooling hounds. Three of the dogs were instantly flash-fried, falling to the ground smelling of rotting and scorched flesh. Jenna raised her Ankh into the air and fired a blast of Eruption into the ranks, sending five dogs into piles of ashes. Her Psy power had been magnified by the power of the lighthouse, and she feel as though she could still tap deeper into her power. Felix decided to shake up the party with an Earthquake, which rattled the floor and sent several dogs off balance, giving Dargon and Garet time to slay them in hand-to-hand combat with minimal retaliation. Twelve of the twenty-five dogs now lie lifeless on the floor of the lighthouse; most of the dead were Hellhounds, while the Fenrirs still stood strong. The remaining thirteen leapt forward and attacked fiercely. Four of them went straight at Dargon, whom was barely able to keep them at bay with his sword and shield. Ivan and Jenna, who had their backs against the Lighthouse walls, were cornered by about five. The other four bared down on Felix and Garet, who could easily defend themselves from two-to-one odds.  
  
Dargon, who was getting a tad overwhelmed, was assisted when a blast of Spark Plasma pounded two of the Fenrirs away from him. The dogs, burned and stunned, were easy prey to Dargon's long sword. He ran the first through in the head, and broke the other's neck with a shield bash.  
  
Felix, noticing his sister in danger, leapt forward with his Silver Blade, and slammed one that was preparing to strike with an Aqua Sock. The dog was instantly drenched in pure water, burning its unholy skin with its purity. Felix pressed his attack and shoved the sword blade into its throat, ending its life in an instant. The other four hounds became confused at the sight of their comrade's death. This was a grave mistake on the hounds' part. A surge of Flare Storm tore through the four hounds and knocked them all to the ground. Garet and Felix were fast with the follow through, and now the four remaining hounds were forced to reconsider their attack. The dogs, realizing their folly, prepared to flee, but Dargon stood in their escape route, shield up and sword ready. The hounds growled at him; they knew well they were trapped. Dargon surged forward, impaling the first Fenrir with his sword and bashing another away with his shield. Felix was quick with the cut on the stunned hound, leaving Garet to finish the final two off with two clean swings of his Swift Sword.  
  
"That was crazy!" Garet exclaimed, panting heavily.  
  
"Tell me about it, Garet! This armor was the only thing that saved my life!" Dargon said, pointing out the dents in the leg pieces of his plate mail. The hounds had tried to bite through the armor, but luckily they didn't succeed.  
  
"Well, at least that's over." Felix sighed, surveying the carnage he and the others had let slip. This battle was tough, but he somehow felt they weren't done.  
  
"I'm glad too." Ivan said. "Now, how do we open that gate?"  
  
"Do you have the Lifting Gem, Ivan?" Garet asked.  
  
"No, Isaac has it."  
  
"How about the Carry Stone?"  
  
"No, Isaac has that one too."  
  
"Force Orb?"  
  
"Isaac."  
  
"Well, damn it, what do you have?"  
  
"The Douse Drop."  
  
"Oh, yeah, let's douse the steel gate with water until it decides it doesn't want to get wet anymore and then open. That's great!"  
  
"Garet, it's not Ivan's fault!" Jenna said to him. Garet turned, but rubbed his temples with his left hand.  
  
"I know, I know. I'm sorry Ivan. . . I'm a little on edge right now."  
  
"It's okay." Ivan replied. "Wait, what was that?" He said, snapping his head back down to the staircase. "I heard something."  
  
"I did too." Jenna stated. A loud rattling sound started coming closer, and from the lower levels came a huge horde of Skeleton Warriors, armed to the teeth, and itching for a fight.  
  
"It's going to be a long day. . ." Garet sighed, preparing for more combat.  
  
**********************************  
  
Isaac huffed in fatigued as he and Mia reached the elevator to the Aerie of the Mars Lighthouse. They had climbed several floors in the lighthouse, encountering several creatures, but nothing too dangerous. There had been a number of treasure chests along the way, but neither Isaac or Mia had any desire to figure out what they contained. Both Adepts were too busy concerning themselves of what waited in front of them; Saturos and Menardi.  
  
"Well, this is it. . ." Isaac said, finally catching his breath.  
  
"Let's go, Isaac." Mia softly replied.  
  
"Mia, this will be dangerous. I don't want you up there getting hurt!"  
  
"Isaac, you've sworn to protect me, which is a promise you've kept, and I promised you I'd always be with you, which is a promise I don't intend to break! Don't try to convince me otherwise, Isaac. My mind is made up."  
  
Isaac smiled. "All right, Mia. I won't try to convince you. Just promise me you'll be careful."  
  
"I promise, Isaac." She smiled warmly. "Let's go. We don't have any more time to waste."  
  
"Right." Isaac said, tone changing stone cold. He drew his Gaia Blade as he stepped forth on the platform. Mia stepped up right behind him, Angelic Ankh drawn, ready to fight. The platform magically gravitated upward, into the sky, to the top of the Mars Lighthouse. After it reached its apex, the two Adepts leapt from hovering platform to platform, finally reaching the main lighthouse floor. They approached the center of the platform, not seeing hide nor hair of their opponents.  
  
"It took you two long enough to get here." A female voice shot out; the vocal sounds could only have belonged to Menardi, who was perched on a column above the sinkhole where the lighthouse light would shine. Saturos was on an adjacent column, and Edward stood across from both of them, longbow drawn and ready to fire.  
  
"I assume you have what we want." Saturos stated.  
  
"Perhaps." Isaac stated. "I assume you have what WE want." Saturos smirked, revealing the Anubis Orb to the Venus Adept. Isaac pulled the Mars Star from his pocket, and revealed it to them.  
  
"Ah, you're smarter than I thought." Saturos muttered, leaping down from the column to Isaac's level. "Give it to me."  
  
"Not so fast. Release the spirits you took first."  
  
"That was never part of the deal, Adept. Triad only, remember?"  
  
"You never stated otherwise."  
  
"I'm altering the deal."  
  
"There will be NO altering, Saturos."  
  
"You're making a mistake, child. Do you have any idea how powerful we are in our own lighthouse?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. That's exactly why I'm not afraid of you or Menardi. Edward's nothing without either of you anyway."  
  
"You are overestimating your power, boy."  
  
"Am I?"  
  
"Let's find out." Saturos said, drawing his bastard sword and slipping the Anubis Orb back in its bag. "Menardi, Edward, the Venus Adept is mine."  
  
"Leave his girlfriend to me." Menardi smirked, leaping to the ground, her scythe drawn and ready to cut. "Are you ready to die, Mia?"  
  
"The question should be directed to you, Menardi." Mia smiled, bringing her Ankh into defense position. "I'm not afraid of you."  
  
"Stay out of our fights, Edward." Saturos ordered.  
  
"As you wish." Edward bowed. "Have fun, both of you."  
  
"Indeed we will." Menardi smirked. She charged forward with her scythe, but Mia caught the scythe in the crease with the rod of her Ankh, muscling with Menardi for position.  
  
Saturos leapt forward with his sword, and Isaac moved to defense, but quickly countered with his own attacks. Forehand, sideswipe, countless swings of the steel were used on both combatants, and each was countered with a defense. Isaac leapt over Saturos's head in attempt to outmaneuver him. Saturos, knowing better, spun around and quickly blocked Isaac's strike.  
  
"You've gotten good, kid." Saturos snarled, in a blade-pushing contest with Isaac.  
  
Mia strained her arms to keep Menardi from advancing; it was a good thing Saturos's partner was a spellcaster and not a melee fighter, otherwise it would've been over long ago. With one bout of strength, she managed to shove Menardi away, giving her enough time to cast Ice Horn on the Mars Adept. Menardi flew back several feet after getting pummeled by hundreds of ice shards; she got up, nearly unhurt, but extremely angry.  
  
"You'll pay for that, you bitch."  
  
"Takes one to know one, Menardi." Mia replied, smiling. "I'm still not scared." She twirled her Ankh into attack position and leapt forward in an attack. She whipped her staff-like weapon at Menardi, whom blocked with the shaft of her scythe. Mia leapt away, and quickly prepared a defense. It was promptly tested by Menardi's scythe, but Mia was too quick and danced out of the way of harm. In response, Mia let loose an Ice Missile attack at Menardi, which caught her dead on. Menardi yelped as a blast of frigid death surrounded her and froze her skin solid. After the storm of cold had subsided, Menardi stood back up and was glowing with the power of Mars.  
  
"Payback time." She said simply, as all of the energy blasted from her body in a hailstorm of fire and brimstone. The attack was nothing Mia had ever seen before, but it hurt like no tomorrow. Mia shielded her face with both arms, and she was blown back several feet by the firestorm. After the hurricane of flame dissipated, Mia stood back to her feet with some effort, her clothes burned in several places, her skin lightly scorched by the Mars Adept's sudden burst.  
  
"Not bad." Mia said, glowing blue. The burns on her face disappeared quickly, and rings of water appeared around the Mercury Adept. "Maybe someone shoud put you out!" The rings blasted toward Menardi from Mia's arms, sending the evil Adept staggering back and soaked with pure water.  
  
"Is that all you have, Mia?!" Menardi demanded, glowing again. "Your powers are weak, Mia. Now you know how Saturos felt at the Mercury Lighthouse!" Mia flinched. Menardi was right; her power was dulling. She could feel the normal loss of her Psynergy, while Menardi didn't seem to be getting any weaker. Her Mercury power was dulled severely as well. Ice Missile wasn't working as nearly as well as it should have, and her Douse attack had done little more than get Menardi sopping wet. Things were looking bad.  
  
Isaac remained equal with his duel with Saturos; both fighters struck and blocked with equal skill and timing. Saturos looked like he was having the time of his life, while Isaac's face showed a grim determination to be the victor of the duel. A layman would say that Saturos would win, given his obvious size advantage, as well as how much bigger his bastard sword was. Isaac, who was smaller and had a long sword, looked at a distinct disadvantage. However, despite the fighters' differences, they seemed equally balanced.  
  
Edward Giles watched both duels carefully, studying the tactics of each warrior and their attack patterns. He determined Isaac was being too defensive, while Saturos wasn't taking his opponent seriously; a critical mistake in such a major battle. Mia was at a disadvantage because the Mercury Element wasn't powerful offensively, not to mention the fact that they were in the Mars Lighthouse, which considerably weakened all Mercury based attacks. Menardi was too foolish and aggressive; she was bound to make a mistake eventually. The archer scoffed at all four of the fighters. While he was friends with Saturos and Menardi, their fighting technique left much to be desired. Saturos had the same attitude in every battle, but Menardi had usually kept a cool head about herself. Apparently there was something about Mia that brought out her worst. It was probably because she was a Mercury Adept, and Menardi had never been fond of them at all. The former mayor frowned. He didn't want this to go on any longer, but he had agreed to stay out of the fight. Sighing, he turned to the battle of Mia and Menardi; it was much more interesting, anyway.  
  
Mia had just been pummeled by several Fireballs, so she wasn't looking too pleasant; before she casted Ply. After a moment, her stature returned to normal, and she unleashed a Glacier spell on Menardi. Frozen and aggravated again, Menardi leapt from her icy imprisonment and shouted to Saturos.  
  
"This bitch is becoming a thorn in my side, Saturos. Get rid of her!"  
  
Saturos turned his head while continuing to duel with Isaac. "Very well, I'll take care of it." Saturos leapt back away from Isaac, only to leap forward again to unleash a Heat Slash on Isaac, muddling his senses for a few moments. Isaac stopped swinging his weapon and tried in vain to focus. Saturos lunged toward Mia with his sword. Using both hands and her Angelic Ankh, she managed to block the attempted vertical cut of Saturos. The metal clanged against her staff, and she managed to hold the blade inches from her face.  
  
"Not bad for a woman, huh?" Mia asked Saturos, mockingly.  
  
"You're quicker on the draw than Menardi, but you missed the point of the attack entirely." Saturos smiled, shoving something against Mia's shoulder with his free hand. A green energy unleashed into the air around them, and Mia fell to the floor, eyes lifeless. Edward turned his head to witness the event, but his eyes and face remained unwavering.  
  
"Game over." Saturos smirked. "One more to go."  
  
"Wait, Saturos. I want to see the look on his face when he realizes what we did to her." Menardi cackled.  
  
"You're every bit as evil as I am. I intended to just put him out of his misery."  
  
"His misery is now only beginning." After Menardi finished her statement, a beleaguered Isaac managed to regain himself and he charged at Saturos, not knowing Mia's fate. Saturos used every ounce of his strength in his arms to knock Isaac back with a defense swing. Isaac got shoved away in a different direction and he tripped over something.  
  
"Damn it, what did I trip over?!" Isaac said, looking up. A look of horror grasped his face as he saw what it was. Looking over his true love, he realized she suffered the same fate as Triad and the Innkeeper. . . he was alone now. His father, his mother, his hometown, and now the love of his life, gone. His emotions flooded over him as he sat next to the lifeless love he once knew. . . what could he do now? 


	24. Power Overwhelming

Isaac sat kneeled next to Mia, tears welling up in his eyes. He'd now lost everything; what could he possibly do without anything to fight for? All he could hear was the mocking laughter of Saturos and Menardi, and the dead silence of Edward Giles. Isaac's heart tore from his chest, and he felt completely powerless to do anything.  
  
"Well, it looks like I finally got through to that idiot." Saturos laughed. "Now it seems I have something better to barter with than a soul of a friend and a stranger. I also have his lover. Funny how things turn out sometimes."  
  
"Indeed." Menardi stated.  
  
"Well, Isaac. . . I'll make a deal with you: Give me the Mars Star, and I'll restore the souls of all of them. I know how much you want Mia back. You can't get along without her, you know."  
  
Isaac flinched. Saturos was right; he couldn't get along without her. But in handing over the Mars Star, he'd be dooming the world to destruction and mayhem. What chance could he have alone against the three most dangerous opponents he had ever faced? He couldn't decide.  
  
"Isaac, you know you can't resist this offer."  
  
Isaac still didn't respond. His mind raced a thousand different places at once. One second, he was thinking about his childhood, the next about Imil and the siege, the next about fishing, the next about sailing, and the next about Mia. Mia. Nothing else mattered to him anymore, so why couldn't he hand over the Elemental Star and get her back? It was crazy enough to work.  
  
"I'm waiting, Adept."  
  
Isaac slowly reached for his side bag, where he kept the Star in its bag. Just as he was about to reach it, a voice called out to him.  
  
"ISAAC! What do you think you're doing?!" He recognized the voice, but it wasn't Garet or any of the others. "You're not honestly. . .? I don't believe you." The voice called out again. It blared in his head, but he knew it wasn't from an outside person; who was it?! "If you're willing to give in that easily, I guess those stories you told were nothing but lies." It hit him then.  
  
"Justin?!" He called out in his mind.  
  
"That's right. What the hell are you thinking? Saturos will kill you the moment he gets the Star away from you!" The voice of Mia's deceased apprentice reached him.  
  
"But, Mia. . ."  
  
"He has no intention of releasing Mia and you know it!"  
  
"Yeah, Isaac! Start making sense!" Megan's voice called out. "You know as well as Justin does it's just a trick!"  
  
"But, what if he does want to restore her?. . ."  
  
"Wake up, Isaac! Have you not been listening to me?! Would Mia want you throwing your mission and life away on a gamble?! No! She would want you to keep fighting for as long as you were able!"  
  
"You can't leave it this way, Isaac. You can only do this yourself!" Megan shouted out.  
  
"But, I can't. I don't have the strength to beat them alone!"  
  
"You have all the strength you need, Isaac! Have you forgotten something? You've forgotten how much strength your love gave you, Isaac. That's how you defeated Sirius in Imil with the Judgment of Venus: out of love. Love for us, and love for Mia." Justin's voice echoed through the recesses of his mind. "Have you forgotten your promise to Mia? We know what it was; apparently you don't. I believe your words were, 'I want you to know that I stand ready to defend you with my life. I won't let them get you even if it is beyond my power to stop them'. You promised to do that to her, Isaac. If you give in, you'll be breaking that promise."  
  
"But I broke that promise by letting Saturos take her spirit away."  
  
"No, you didn't. You'd be breaking it by sitting idle. You can save her, Isaac. You know it. You have the strength. You have the spirit. If you're half the warrior Mia always said you were, you could do it. So, do it." Justin's voice sounded in his mind, fading away slowly into obscurity. Had the voice been real? Or was it his imagination? Whatever it was, it was right. Confidence began to well up in the Venus Adept, and he slowly pulled himself together.  
  
"I'm losing my patience, Adept!" Saturos shouted. "Do you accept my proposal? What is your answer?!" Saturos growled after finishing his statement. The Venus Adept's back was turned on him, but he was still slouched over. "Your answer?!" He demanded. Isaac's form moved slightly, and his head lifted. Laughter. Half-mocking, half-maniacal. He stood slowly, Gaia Blade still in hand. He turned around, still laughing evilly, his face full of fire and passion.  
  
"You want my answer, Saturos? My answer is:. . . 'Go to Hell.'" After he finished his statement, golden Psynergy seemed to overflow from his body and Saturos took a step back. The boy's power had now fluxed and had jumped in power three-fold. "I have a promise to keep, Saturos! I will not fail! I will not be defeated!" His power began to swell again, causing cracks in the ground around him. "Prepare yourself, Saturos!" Isaac shouted, dashing at him with his sword. Saturos blocked the attack with his blade, but he was using every ounce of his strength just keeping the enraged warrior from powering the sword from his hands.  
  
"Menardi, Edward! I could use some help here!"  
  
"I thought you never needed help, Saturos." Isaac stated, sounding somewhat insane. "You were always the loner; to proud to count on others." Isaac withdrew from the push-and-shove game he was playing and actually started attacking viciously. Swing for swing, Saturos scarcely could keep pace, but then Menardi intervened by coming in with her scythe. Isaac quickly blocked it, and turned back to his offensive on Saturos.  
  
"Why won't you die?!" Menardi shouted, trying to cut Isaac's head off with her weapon. Isaac instinctively knew it was coming and ducked underneath the attack while pressing his own. Menardi, openly frustrated, began glowing red; her weapon did the same, and she tried to hit Isaac with a Death Size attack. Isaac leapt nimbly from the attack, giving Saturos a moment to rest while the Venus Adept switched the focus of his attack.  
  
"And you, you're as pathetic as Saturos. . . an opportunist and a bitch with an annoying laugh." Isaac stated, still sounding out of his gourd. Isaac's weapon flashed with a gold energy as he leapt at Menardi; the power of Flint did the rest. Menardi was sent flying back, obviously angered. She struggled to stand, but in the meantime, Isaac had returned to openly attacking Saturos.  
  
Saturos was surprised and taken by Isaac's bloodthirsty attacks; the warrior had never been so powerful in his offense. Saturos always knew Isaac as a pacifist; not a true killer. . . this wasn't his nature at all. This made the Venus Adept ten times more dangerous than before; not only was he powerful, he was unpredictable. To prove his unpredictability, Isaac suddenly leapt away from Saturos and headed straight for the column Edward Giles was perched upon. A blast of Ragnarok shook the pillar, knocking the archer off his perch, and onto the main battleground floor.  
  
"And you, I hate you the most, Edward." Isaac smiled, lunging at him. "You sold out your own people. . . for power. You haven't learned anything in your life have you?" Isaac asked, swinging his blade at him. The spry Edward dodged and danced between attacks, but Isaac continued talking. "Power is as insignificant as a blade of grass, and it's as fleeting as a herd of deer. Power is nothing!" Isaac shouted, swinging at him again, only to catch Saturos's blade.  
  
"Power is everything, Adept!" Saturos shouted back.  
  
"If it's everything, how come you haven't defeated me yet? You claim to be the most powerful being in existence, so why hasn't your vaunted power done you any good?" Isaac responded, while swinging his sword, catching Saturos in the side. The bag with the Anubis Orb fell free and to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Isaac summoned Zephyr and blazed to the bag, quickly removing the orb. His mind raced, and green energy was unleashed from the orb into the sky.  
  
However, before all of the power could be drained from the Orb, Saturos struck back, hitting Isaac in the side, causing him to drop the Anubis Orb. Saturos forced Isaac away from the Orb with his own offense. "Edward, get the Anubis Orb, now!" Meanwhile, the glowing green energy had left the Aerie of the Lighthouse and moved back to the town of Titanus. Mia remained motionless nearby; the energy released apparently wasn't hers.  
  
"Right!" The archer complied, rushing over to the orb. He picked it up, and examined it. The object they had worked so hard for was a green glass marble the size of a baseball; why was it so anti-climactic to him? He fumbled the jewel around in his hands for a moment, but stopped when he felt a shearing pain in one of his fingers. Gazing down at it, he realized he had cut himself; but with what? He was only holding the orb; but why did it cut him? He looked at the orb more closely than before; as he did so, his eyes caught sight of a large crack in it. The orb was broken, and he had cut himself on the crack. "Saturos! The orb. . . it's broken!"  
  
"What?!" Saturos shot back. "We went to all of that and the damned thing got broken?! It might not even work now!" Isaac was taken back by this new fact; he managed to release most of the spirits from the orb, but the one that mattered still remained inside the orb. Isaac felt himself slipping back into depression, but he pushed the thoughts from his mind and focused his attack further. "I guess you heard; your girlfriend isn't coming back now. If you had cooperated. . ."  
  
"Can it, Saturos!" Isaac shouted, slashing him in the face, leaving a bleeding gash. "I've had enough of you!"  
  
"And I've had enough of YOU!" Menardi shouted, casting Cataclysm at Isaac. The Venus Adept was caught in the fiery holocaust, but he emerged little more than seared. Menardi surged forward with her scythe, while Saturos charged with his sword at the same time. Edward drew the string on his bow, and let loose an arrow on the convergence point of his two allies. Isaac, being at this point, leapt straight upward. The agility boosting effects of Zephyr hadn't worn off yet, so it gave him a huge jump height. The arrow hit the floor and split in two, while Saturos and Menardi skidded to a halt two feet from running into each other. Confused, the two noticed Isaac's landing point nearby.  
  
Enraged with a battle fervor, Isaac leapt forward at Edward Giles, and charged him at full speed. "This is for Justin and Megan!" He shouted. Leaping into the sky, Isaac raised his sword to land a blow. However, Edward leapt backwards avoiding the strike and as he smiled to spite Isaac, he found three feet of steel in his chest. Isaac kicked Edward's now lifeless carcass from his sword and turned to a stunned pair of Saturos and Menardi. Isaac's sword dripped with blood as he turned to his enemies.  
  
"Who's next?" Isaac asked, barely louder than a whisper.  
  
Saturos and Menardi didn't speak a word, but rather flung themselves into battle. Saturos remained in front while Menardi flanked behind Isaac. The fighters had the Venus Adept surrounded, but he didn't let that get in his way. Alternating blocks, Isaac defended himself from both opponents with equal measure. One second he blocked a horizontal sword swing, the next, a vertical scythe swing.  
  
"Give it up, Adept! You can't win!" Saturos shouted.  
  
"Really?" Isaac smiled, blocking his attack. He quickly reversed the direction of his sword and thrust backward. He heard the gasp of Menardi, who now had a pierced stomach. Isaac frowned as he pulled his blade forward and concentrated on the person in front of him. "That was for Vale." Isaac now pressed his attack, swinging wildly in front of him, much like his earlier offensive. Saturos now was forced to become defensive, and each of Isaac's sword swings brought him closer to the edge of the Lighthouse platform.  
  
"Where did you get all of this power?!" Saturos asked in shock, while still battling Isaac point for point.  
  
"I told you, power is meaningless!"  
  
"Then what is your strength?!"  
  
"You mean the force that drives me?"  
  
"Yes, whatever the hell you call it!"  
  
"The force that drives me to fight. . . that force is love. Something you never had, Saturos. That makes you weak! I fight with my heart, and that has made all the difference!" Isaac shouted at the Mars Adept. He swung hard, causing his foe to stagger back to the edge of the Lighthouse. "This is for Mia!" Isaac shouted, swinging high and horizontally. His blow hit home, and Saturos stood stunned for a moment.  
  
"Incredible. . ." Saturos muttered in his last breath. His frame fell from the Aerie of the lighthouse to the ground below. Isaac watched his head separate from the rest of his body on the way down, and he sighed in relief and sorrow. Only half the battle was over. Now he had to revive Mia somehow. He walked over to Edward's corpse and palmed the pale and no longer glowing Anubis Orb.  
  
"Venus, help me. . ." Isaac sighed, walking over to Mia's still frame. He bent down beside her, pressing the orb into her shoulder. "I pray to you, Venus. . . please restore the one I love. She means more to me than anything else in the world." He remained silent for a few moments. Nothing happened. "Venus, please. . . I beg of you. Help me." Silence. . . again, nothing happened. "Mia. . . Mia. . ." Isaac cried, pressing his face against hers. "Please hear me, Mia. I want you back; don't give out on me like this. You promised me you'd always be here with me. I've kept my promise; please keep yours. . ." Tears flowed freely from his eyes as he gave her a long kiss. He pulled away a moment later, but no life had shone through her. The orb was indeed useless.  
  
"MIA!" Isaac cried out, letting his Gaia Blade clatter to the ground beside him. "Please. . ." He said between hyperventilating sobs. "This can't happen. . . it can't. . . Mia. . ." He leaned down and kissed her again, hoping by some sheer miracle that the orb had some power left. Again, his hopes were in vain, but he kept his face buried in hers. "I'm sorry, Mia. . ." He closed his eyes and tried to force back his sorrow. Tried to forget the pain, and the loss, and everything else he was feeling. It was over. He had nothing left to live for.  
  
"Isaac?" A voice whispered. It seemed so far away, but it felt so close. Isaac opened his cobalt eyes into a pair of soft aqua gems in front of him. Was he dreaming again? "Isaac?" The voice repeated.  
  
"Mia?"  
  
"Isaac!" She exclaimed, pulling him into a kiss. Moments passed before Isaac could get a breath, and when he finally did, he sat up straight.  
  
"But how? The orb wasn't working. . ." He gasped out. Mia sat up in front of him and pointed to his chest. The Venus Adept looked down, noticing something under his tunic glowing a soft blue color. Pulling it out, he noticed it was the amulet Mia had given to him in Imil weeks ago. "The amulet?"  
  
"The amulet was supposed to symbolize hope in the Mercury clan, Isaac. It also was a symbol of life and love."  
  
"But, how did it work?"  
  
"My guess is it fed off of your hope and love, and granted your wish. . ." Mia said, blushing. "I never told you before, but that amulet is called the Lover's Amulet; for a good reason too. It was a legend in the Mercury Clan that the amulet had the power to restore the spirit of the wearer's love, but I thought it only a legend."  
  
"So, it worked because you are my true love?"  
  
"Yes." Mia smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Let's go. Our work here is finished."  
  
"Not quite." Isaac said, standing up. He tossed the cracked Anubis Orb onto the ground, and picked up his bloodstained Gaia Blade. "You will never hurt anyone again!" He shouted, driving the point of his weapon into the orb, shattering it into a thousand pieces on the ground in front of him. Isaac sighed, sheathed his sword, and took Mia's hand into his own. After he helped her to her feet, Mia couldn't help but to kiss Isaac once more. There they stood, sharing their feelings, and their hearts.  
  
*********************  
  
Author's Note: It's not over yet, folks. I still have another chapter left in me, so stay tuned for the final chapter. 


	25. Destiny's Calling and Triad's Two Cents

"I think that was the last of them." Garet sighed, sheathing his sword and panting heavily. Piles of bones from dispelled skeletal warriors lay everywhere, and among them were the still standing fighters, all exhausted.  
  
"That was exhausting." Dargon panted, leaning on the hilt of his sword. His armor was dented in countless places and it looked like it would take quite some time to hammer out all of the dings in it. "Now, we still have to find Isaac."  
  
"But how do we get through the gate?" Jenna asked, breathless. She gazed at the heavy metal gate, and sighed. It would take forever to beat it down, and even though she was in the Mars Lighthouse, her powers had been depleted greatly. No one else had much strength left either; so getting through the gate would be next to impossible. Her fears were relieved as she saw the gate slowly open on its own. "Hey, it opened! But, why?. . ."  
  
Her answer came in a sound of two pairs of feet coming slowly down the stone stairs at the end of the hallway.  
  
"I hope that's not Saturos and Menardi!" Garet said, drawing his sword again. "We're in no condition to face them now!" The others moved to defense as well, preparing to jump and attack whatever came through the hall. "Show yourselves!" Garet shouted down the blind hall.  
  
"Jeez, you can't even recognize your best friend, Garet?" Isaac's voice replied. He and Mia emerged from the hallway; Isaac looked like he had been to Hell and back, Mia looked like she was put through a tough battle herself.  
  
"Did you succeed?" Ivan asked, quietly.  
  
"Yes." Isaac smiled, giving a smile to everyone in the room. The faces of everyone in the room immediately brightened; even Felix's normally neutral face showed hints of a smile. Garet, Jenna, and Ivan then piled on to Isaac and Mia, smiling and laughing with glee.  
  
"I knew you could do it, Isaac, I knew it!" Garet shouted, messing up Isaac's hair with his hand. "Who's the man?!"  
  
"Way to go, Isaac!" Jenna exclaimed. "I bet you could take on anyone anytime!"  
  
"I'm impressed, my friend." Ivan said.  
  
"Well, it looks like you guys were pretty busy yourselves." Isaac stated, after finally getting free of his friends' congratulations. "I've never seen so many defeated Skeleton Warriors in one place before."  
  
"So, now what do we do?" Jenna asked.  
  
"We go back to Titanus to celebrate and rest." Isaac sighed. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm exhausted. I could use some hot food and a warm bed. . ."  
  
"I agree, Isaac." Mia replied, sighing. "Menardi can throw a mean Fire spell when she gets mad."  
  
"Yeah, we also have to see how Triad's doing." Dargon stated.  
  
"I'm sure he's okay now." Felix replied. "By now he's probably back on his feet with his wisecracks at full power." The Venus Adept turned and walked toward the descending staircase. The others dragged behind, following him at a distance. No one had guessed how close to failure Isaac had came; and no one really cared. The victory was enough for them.  
  
****************************  
  
Isaac reclined in his chair, trying to relax and settle the huge meal he had just eaten. He'd eaten as much as Garet did on a normal day; enough to feed a small army. Garet, on the other hand, ate twice as much as normal, enough to feed an entire brigade of troops; and he was STILL eating. Ivan sighed as he finished his meal as well. He showed more restraint than Garet or Isaac when it came to eating, but he still had stuffed himself with a ridiculous amount of food.  
  
Mia put aside her goblet of water and turned to the lounging Isaac next to her. "You know, you shouldn't eat so much. It can be bad for you."  
  
"Not when I did what I did today. I think I deserved to gouge myself fat." He replied, patting his full stomach lightly.  
  
"I deserved it too!" Garet said, still thrashing at a leg of roasted chicken. "Plus, I was just damned hungry!"  
  
"You're just a big old pig, you know that, right?" Jenna jeered, poking Garet in the side with her index finger. "I'm surprised you don't have a curly tail."  
  
"Who's to say I don't?!" Garet retorted, while still attacking the flesh of the cooked fowl. "Besides, I'm still hungry!"  
  
"Only you could eat that much and still be able to move, Garet." Sheba smiled. "Though little Ivan here sure put a lot away."  
  
"Hey, at least I show restraint."  
  
"Say, where's the entertainment anyway? Weren't there supposed to be some people playing music tonight?" Triad asked. He had been feeling just fine since before they returned, and his arsenal of smart remarks was actually dry; an oddity to say the least.  
  
"I don't know." Dargon said. "I'll ask the waitress when she comes by again."  
  
"Ask me what?" A female voice asked behind him. Dargon jumped, not expecting to have company so quickly. He turned to face her; a young woman, roughly his age. She was beautiful, and had long and flowing brown hair. Her blue eyes sparkled in the low candlelight of the dark dining room.  
  
"Well, I thought that there was supposed to be musicians playing tonight."  
  
"Yes, there should've been, but the duet said they were sick with a flu."  
  
"What exactly were they supposed to be playing?"  
  
"Well, I think they were supposed to be playing a song called 'Starlight Rhapsody'. It was supposed to be a duet between a piano and a woodwind instrument, but like I said, they are both sick tonight. It's a shame, really."  
  
"Hey Felix, you can play the piano, right?" Jenna asked her older brother.  
  
"Yes, but I'm not a performer."  
  
"Oh come on, Felix! You know you want to play! Besides, there's no one else in here but us anyway!"  
  
"Jenna, I told you, I'm not a performer."  
  
"Please, big brother?" Jenna asked, giving a 'cute puppy-dog eyes' routine to her older brother. He sighed as he replied.  
  
"Fine, but who can play a woodwind here anyway? It's a duet, not a solo." Felix asked, kicking himself for always falling for his sister's bogus watery eyes routine. Triad stood up, and dashed upstairs after he finished his comment.  
  
"Where's he going?" Sheba asked.  
  
"I'm not sure." Isaac said, trying to get a glance up the staircase. A few moments passed before Triad returned, carrying a small bag. "What do you have there, Triad?" Isaac asked.  
  
"You'll see. Come on, Felix." Triad said, rushing next to the piano. Felix shrugged and stood, reluctantly walking to the piano. Triad had pulled up a stool next to the piano, and he placed the sheet music for the song on a small wooden stand in front of him. Felix already had the music on the piano's back, so he sat and cracked his fingers in preparation. He glanced over to Triad, whom had pulled his experimental instrument from his bag.  
  
"God, Triad. . . not that awful thing again." Felix whispered to him.  
  
"You'll be eating those words, Felix." Triad whispered back, smiling. Felix had a strong sense of doubt to Triad's statement, but he shrugged and played a 'C' on the piano to check its tuning. After making some slight adjustments, Felix looked to Triad, who nodded to show he was ready.  
  
Felix began to let his fingers slide over the ivory keys of the piano, producing a melodious and striking slow song. The music required careful timing and was quite difficult to play, but the Venus Adept seemed to play it as if he had composed the work himself. Felix played solo for a few moments, before Triad raised his instrument to his lips. Jenna, Garet, and Ivan instantly recognized the instrument in Triad's hands, and had already prepared to cover their ears. The time came when Triad drew in a deep breath, and began causing the single reed to vibrate between his lips. The music that followed was as melodious as the piano's, but at a quicker pace with slightly more livelihood. The stunned looks on several of his friends' faces was gold for the young inventor. Even Felix turned his head in surprise to the sound of the instrument.  
  
"This song is beautiful, isn't it, Isaac?" Mia asked, dreamily.  
  
"Yes, it is." He replied, sitting with a smile on his continence. As he sat, lightly swaying to the music, his thoughts turned to a feeling he couldn't resist. "Mia, would you care to dance?"  
  
Surprised, Mia smiled. "Yes, I would." Isaac took her by the hand and began to waltz with her in an open area of the dining room.  
  
"Would you look at those two?" Garet whispered to Jenna. "They're hopeless, I swear."  
  
"Shut up, Garet. I wanna dance too." She said, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him onto the christened dance floor.  
  
"Sheba, I. . ." Ivan stammered.  
  
"Of course, Ivan." Sheba replied. "It doesn't take a Jupiter Adept to know what you're thinking." She smiled as she began to take her love's lead in dance.  
  
"Well, well, well. Looks like I'm the only one who isn't dancing." Dargon smiled to himself. He turned behind him. "You wouldn't care to?. . ."  
  
"I'd love to." The waitress said, cutting him off. Dargon smiled again, and he joined his other companions in dance.  
  
"Mia, do you know how much I love you?" Isaac whispered to her.  
  
"I do. . . and I love you the same amount." She returned quietly. "I wish tonight would never end. . ."  
  
"All good things do, I'm afraid." Isaac replied, sadly. "Mia, I want you to know something. . . about up on the lighthouse. Just before I killed Saturos and the others, I heard something in my head. I heard Justin, and I heard Megan. . ."  
  
"Isaac, why are you telling me this?" Mia asked, confused.  
  
"They helped me win that fight. . ."  
  
"It's because they care, Isaac. We have a pair of guardian angels looking after us now. They may only be children, but they are wise beyond their years. . . much like they were in life." Mia replied. "They helped us realize how we felt about each other; they want us to stay together. I'm glad you told me, Isaac, though I knew."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well, there are some things we can't know for sure, but I knew they were there." Mia smiled. "Now, let's focus on having a good time, Isaac. It's what Justin and Megan would want us to do." With that, they danced through the cold winter night, and for the first time in ten years, snow fell in the town of Titanus.  
  
**************************  
  
Isaac sat down his cargo crate in the cargo hold and let out a deep breath. The innkeeper they had saved was kind enough to get them more supplies, and at a heavily discounted cost. Besides loading the cargo, they had to shovel snow off the decks of the ship. Shoveling snow wasn't Isaac's idea of a good time, but it had to get done. The deck and mast were now clear of the white powder that had fallen all through the previous night, and the ship would be ready to sail once the cargo crates had been loaded aboard. Isaac returned topside to get his next crate, only to see Garet trip yet again over the anchor cable.  
  
"God damn it!" Garet's cry went out as his face met with the wooden deck. "I'm going to cut you off and turn you into a bunch of little hemp strings!" Garet swore at the cable.  
  
"Garet, you know swearing at a piece of rope is going to get you nowhere. Kraden always used to tell you that, and I'm surprised you've forgotten so easily." Isaac smiled, helping his oaf of a friend back to his feet.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I always tripped over his climbing rope, I know. By the way, I think Dargon's got the last of the crates. Once he puts it in the hold, we'll be ready to go."  
  
"Got it. I'm going to the bridge, you take whatever post you feel like."  
  
"I'll keep an eye on things below deck." Garet replied, walking down into the hold. Dargon eventually walked up the gangplank and dropped his crate into the hold.  
  
"That's it, we can shove off." Dargon stated, walking to the bow to ensure clear sailing ahead. Isaac nodded and walked up to the bridge, where he stood at the Black Orb pedestal. Placing his right hand on it, he pulled the ship out of its moor and set it into the open ocean. The air was crisp and cold, but the smell of the sea perforated Isaac's nostrils, making him feel as though he was right at home. He kept the boat on its path for about twenty minutes before Mia finally arrived on the bridge from below.  
  
"It looks like we're leaving Titanus behind us now. . . It was a nice town, it really was." Mia said, looking back at the ghostly figure of the shore several kilometers to stern.  
  
"It was, but I don't think that's where we belong, Mia."  
  
"I agree. You know, Isaac, I didn't tell you last night, but you are a very good dancer." Mia said, walking up to him and kissing him on the cheek.  
  
"Well, I was only as good as my partner." He smiled. "Maybe we could do it again sometime."  
  
"I hope."  
  
"The open sea, though, isn't a good place to dance. . . it's a nice thing to watch, though."  
  
"You really like the ocean, don't you?"  
  
"Yes. . . I think it reminds me of you. . ."  
  
"So you're saying I'm salty?" Mia joked. Isaac burst out in laughter before he could continue.  
  
"No, I think it reminds me of you because you both can be very passive and serene, yet you have an unbelievable depth and force. . . It's in your eyes, Mia. Your eyes are the color of the sea; breathtaking, really."  
  
"Flatterer." Mia smiled, kissing him on the cheek again. "So Isaac, where are we heading to next?" Isaac's expression changed, and he dragged a barrel from nearby over to the Orb pedestal. He carefully placed his dagger on the barrel and gave it a flick of his wrist.  
  
"Wherever destiny takes us, Mia. Wherever destiny takes us."  
  
-The End  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
Triad Orion here, and this is my personal notes page, where I give my final thoughts and give thanks to people I wish to.  
  
This was my first work ever finished on FF.net. It was far more successful than even I had hoped, and it was a joy to write it. I don't think I ever would've imagined drawing such emotion to my writing. . . to prove that point, just about everyone and their mother wanted to kill me after what happened to Justin and Megan. I hadn't anticipated that so many people would've been upset when I had killed them. The reaction showed me that not only that I was mistaken, but that I had actually reached out and touched someone's emotions. To me as a writer, that's perhaps the greatest honor I could ever achieve. The only other thing that could possibly compete is when I inspire someone else to write. Both of those things have an innumerable effect on me in terms of complementation. It was almost worth the death threats I got from that ChRiStOpH guy! ^_^  
  
The Trials Of Destiny was my first attempt at a Golden Sun story, and it was also my first attempt at ANYTHING romantic. I guess I did quite well, given the reaction I got. However, I still know I have a lot to learn in the art of writing, and I hope to use TOD in such a way to bolster my skills and to produce a better fic in the future.  
  
As for possible references to historical facts or other video games, I'd like to explain. The rune Saturos used was my own creation, though the "Stick it in a socketed weapon" concept came from Diablo II. The lich was not intended to created based off the Warcraft III lich, but I guess it did a whole subliminal thing on me. Now, the Anubis Orb was named after the Egyptian God of Death and Embalming, Anubis. I didn't name the God of War in this story because I forgot what the Egyptian God for that was. Jeez, it's been like eight years since I learned it. . . Also, I'd like to point out that it was the Crystal Wyvern and PaperCutVictim among others who pointed these facts out.  
  
Also on a side note, the character of Triad Orion in this story is nothing like the real me except in a couple of ways. . . he always seemed to have bad luck, and he seemed to act like a bit of an idiot most of the time. Other than that, this character was me in name only. I have never invented a mortar, nor have I invented a musical instrument that could make a banshee run and hide. Either way, the second one might've been fun if I had a set of earplugs myself. . . ^_^  
  
Well, considering Trials of Destiny has been this successful and enjoyable to write, you will likely be hearing from me again in the GS section. Well, for all of you people who want to know, yes, I'm working on a sequel to this story, tentatively titled "Golden Sun: The Trials of Life". It will continue the adventures of everyone's favorite Adepts, the warrior from Imil, and the goofy inventor from Tolbi. As well, I'm currently producing an Alternate Universe fic under Golden Sun called "Golden Sun: Paladin's Heart", so keep your eyes peeled for that too if you're interested. As well, I'm collaborating with a friend of mine on his first GS fic. His name is Village Idiot, and his new fic will be called "The Pointless Golden Sun Story". It is basically a parody of the original Golden Sun game, told in a funny way. Think of it as taking everyone's flaws and exploiting them to the max. . . (Sometimes the flaws are made up. . .) Just give the man a try. I think it will be worth a look at the very least!  
  
As a final personal note of reflection of writing this, I'm still trying to figure out how the other authors penetrated my defense systems. I mean, I didn't think anyone could get through an entire legion of centaur warriors, four squadrons of F-22s, six shield batteries, ten STS missile batteries, forty machine gunners, five squadrons of F-117s, three of the crazy neighborhood kids (You know, the scheming one, the smart one, and the utterly stupid one.), a field of land mines, twenty M-1A1s, AND the little wire with tin cans attached to it! Leave it to the people in the Golden Sun section to actually infiltrate those defenses. I guess I'll have to buy that "Medium Security Package" the salesman was talking about. . .  
  
---------------------  
  
On a completely different note, no one is a rival with anyone else in this section. Zithromax, or whatever pen name you choose to be under, I will have no part in your games. I believe one writes because he wishes to express his emotion or what's in his heart. FF.net wasn't designed to be a pointless "Let's thrash people we don't like" website. Make your own site if you want to do that. Personally, I write because my heart has told me to do so. I listen to my heart and my emotions. THAT is the secret to good writing, people!  
  
That's all I have to say about that.  
  
---------------------  
  
If you enjoyed this reading, I'd like to suggest a few others (In no particular order):  
  
If you're in a GS mood:  
  
1. Against All Odds, by Midnight C  
  
2. Ivan's Dance Club, by Alex and Akiko  
  
3. Adrift in Despair, by Midnight C  
  
4. Letting Go, by Snoopy5468  
  
5. As Luck Would Have It, by Vilya and Company  
  
6. The Pointless Golden Sun Story, by Village Idiot  
  
7. The GS Diaries, by Vappa  
  
8. Jupiter Adept, by Vilya and Company  
  
9. Golden Sun2: The Lost Civilization, by CeruleanNasuti  
  
Now, if you want to read my other non-GS works, these are what you should look at:  
  
1. Whose Ed is it Anyway? (Humor, and it even has some Golden Sun jokes in it!)  
  
2. ResEDent Evil (Horror)  
  
3. Zoids Century Zero: Minuet of the Shadow (Mystery, my first work)  
  
---------------------  
  
Now I'd like to start thanking people. . .  
  
First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this story. It was fun to write and I hope it was just as fun to read. Thank you for choosing this story and taking the time to read it.  
  
Second, I'd like to thank FanFiction.net. I mean, without them, I wouldn't have ever written this. Thank you, FF.net, and the service you provide!  
  
Next, I'd like to thank Tiger Dauthi for giving me advice in the early stages of my story. Tiger pointed out that my story was too chatty, and in the early stages of a story, that's not a good thing. However, I fear I regressed back into my chatty ways as the story went on. . . either way, Tiger taught me a lesson in the early going, and made it easier for me to progress. Thanks again, Tiger!  
  
Fourth, I'd like to thank Alex and Akiko for making a bonzer of a website and being good friends over the 'net throughout all the recent ordeals in the Golden Sun section. I'd also like to thank them for the kick-ass wallpaper I have on my computer that I got from their site.  
  
Next, I'd like to thank ChRiStOpH The "Whatever Emotion He's Feeling At The Moment" for stirring up resentment and plots to kill me during the siege of Imil. Thanks for nearly letting me get killed fourteen hundred different times; I'll remember this, ChRiStOpH! I'll pay you back a hundred fold!!! Just kidding, of course. ^_^  
  
I'd also like to say thank you to Vilya and Her Company for their support of TOD. I'd like to thank Vilya especially for that phony Pizza Delivery ploy that nearly got me killed. Remind me to do that to you next time you cliffhang!  
  
Some more thanks go out to PaperCutVictim, just at the very least for having a really cool name. Power on!  
  
Next, I'd like to thank The Crystal Wyvern for catching every undertone I put out there; the man's sharp as a tack. Mind your history and your video games around this guy, he's good!  
  
I'd also like to thank CeruleanNatsui, for making me her sensei in cliffhanging. I never knew I was an example for anyone. Now people will have an even better reason to kill me: I'm rubbing off! I'd also like to thank her for her hyper attitude that seems to serve her well in her writing; the same hyperness was found in several of her e-mails regarding FF.net. Well, someone's got the energy to write, that's for sure! ^_^  
  
Last, but certainly not least, I'd like to thank Midnight C for her contributions to my story. Essentially, it's her you can thank for a number of things in this fiction. Midnight inadvertently taught me how do use cliffhangers as a method of suspense through "Adrift in Despair". The other reason you can thank Midnight C for this whole mess is because of "Against All Odds". While I had some ideas for a Golden Sun story percolating in my head before I read it, "Against All Odds" was actually my inspiration to this story. Essentially, that one fic actually hit the 'liquefy' button in the blender of my mind and gave me the full idea for this whole story. Thank you, Midnight C, for your inadvertent teachings in both writing and cliffhanging. I will use these lessons well.  
  
I'd also like to thank her for not choking me to death after Chapter 23. (She's got quite a grip though. . .)  
  
Again, I wish to say thanks to everyone who took the time to read this, and everyone who will. Now, I'm left with only one thing to say:  
  
"For those who seek to find their dreams, may the light of your destiny guide you through the darkness."  
  
-Triad Orion 


End file.
